


Exception to the Rule

by CorvusCorvidae



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clarke is President's daughter, F/F, Lexa is Deputy Chief of Staff, White House
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-11-19 03:09:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11304492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvusCorvidae/pseuds/CorvusCorvidae
Summary: Lexa's only been working at the White House a week, but already she's found herself on Clarke Griffin's radar; and now she's on it, she's not sure she wants off it.Or, White House staffer meets President's daughter





	1. Still Standing

*0*0*

Lexa was ready to doze off. She was in a meeting that was entering its fourth hour, with the pastries on the table long gone, coffee now cold, and they were getting nowhere. Anya looked ready to kill the incompetency of those across the table, which was nothing new, but Lexa didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it when they went back to their offices.

“I think we’re done here,” Anya finally said, glancing at her watch. “You’re not bringing anything to the table, and we are getting nowhere. Let’s not waste anymore time.”

“Well, I’m not sure-”

“No, we’re done.” Anya rose, and that was that, with Lexa following suit.

The delegates from Cage Wallace’s office rose, too, and looked to one another before seeing that neither of them were backing down.

“It’s always a pleasure, Anya,” Carl said, and then looked to Lexa. “If I was you, I would have stayed at Woods & Green, because these guys are going to sink you.”

“Emerson,” Anya began, halting them at the door. “These guys are White House senior staff, best to remember that.”

Emerson’s smile was as fake as his watch, and with that, they left the meeting room, leaving Anya and Lexa alone.

“He might be right,” Anya shrugged, a smile toying on her lips.

“Probably, but it’s not like I can’t go back there if this doesn’t work out,” Lexa replied, and Anya grinned.

“Take me with you when you do?” she joked, taking a seat again to go through the actions once again.

“Pretty sure they’d make you partner and put me back in the mail-room,” Lexa said, sitting down and comparing notes.

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Together, the two of them summarised the meeting, with Anya writing up an email to send on to Kane; and then started using the time to discuss the upcoming agenda points they needed to stay on top of.

Word spread they were having an informal meeting and soon Bellamy, Gina, Monty and Ontari were joining them, pitching ideas and refining the message. From four hours of hell, they’d turned it into one of their better meetings.

The door opened, with all of them expecting it to be Murphy or Echo (who apparently had gone to get warm coffee and food), and before Lexa knew what was happening, everyone was rising to their feet. On instinct, she followed suit.

“You know you can keep your seats, I’m not my mother,” Clarke grinned, waving her hand, easing the room, with most taking their seats again.

Lexa hesitated, not wanting to sit before the First Daughter had, and Clarke noticed the more uncertain of the staff in the room.

“You’re new,” she said, smiling, finally taking a seat, with Lexa doing the same.

“Lexa Woods, meet Clarke Griffin, First Daughter; Clarke this is Lexa,” Anya introduced, knowing they’d never met. Lexa hadn’t even been there a week, she was fresh off the plane, practically.

“Your protégé, Anya?” Clarke teased, and Anya rolled her eyes.

“Something like that.”

“Well, welcome, Lexa, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” What else was there to say? She might work in the West Wing but that didn’t mean she anticipated meeting the First Family, or even the President for that matter.

“So, a little birdy told me you were all in here, and while it’s lovely to see you all again, I have come with my own agenda.”

“Why are we not surprised?” Anya asked, looking like she could see it far enough.

“Oh shush, this is one you’ll like.”

“You know, every time you say that, I have to pull strings the President would fire me for pulling.”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Clarke replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Anyway, now that I’m home, I wanted to have a party,” Clarke said, turning to the rest of the room, where her words were met with grins and groans. “Don’t be like that, come on, we always have fun!”

“Yeah, we do, until the next day when one of the locals have pictures and by six o’clock it’s on the nightly news,” Bellamy pointed out, albeit, smiling.

“That was one time. We’ll be more careful. I’m having it in the residence.”

“The President allowing that?” Anya asked, and Clarke shrugged.

“My mother’s not going to be there.”

“What? When are you planning on having this-” If President Griffin wasn’t there, then Anya damn well wasn’t sure who would be left in the building.

“Wait, is that on our itinerary?” Gina asked, frowning, too, before shuffling through the stack of papers on the table.

“I don’t recall there being any-” And like that, the room descended into chaos, all of them reaching for phones and schedules to check in anything had changed.

“No, you can all relax,” Clarke called, rolling her eyes. “She’s going to the old house for the weekend, that’s it. She wants to see my grandmother, she wants to get away from here for two days, you are all off work and off the hook come five p.m. Friday and my party starts at six.”

“What time is the President leaving?” Anya asked, because Indra had mentioned Abby might leave for the weekend, she just hadn’t anticipated the decision so soon.  

“Four thirty.”

“You think we finish at five?”

“I won’t be done till eleven,” Gina said, knowing they wouldn’t put a lid on the press until much later into the night.

“You can come them,” Clarke offered, figuring that was good enough.

While she hated to steal her mom’s staffers, Clarke regarded a lot of these people as close friends. They had the clearance, they had her mother's interests at heart, and she’d gotten to know so many of them through the campaign trail. Weeks and weeks travelling the country, from campaign busses to flights back and forth, riding in the backs of volunteers’ cars to events, and sharing space with many in the room, Clarke knew more about some of those in the room than her extended family.

“I don’t see this being an issue,” Anya began, looking to Clarke with an eye roll. “If the President leaves on time, I think we can make it. God willing.”

“That’s just what I like to hear.”

“Can’t exactly say no to you, can I?” Anya asked, challenging her, as Clarke got up from her place against the table.

“Well, you can, but it’ll be the last time you do,” Clarke joked, and Anya rose, too, following her to the door.

The rest of the staffers went back to sorting out their plans and schedules, while Anya lowered her voice to talk to Clarke. She knew the room would offer privacy where needed.

“You okay?” she enquired, and Clarke gave her a soft smile.

“I’m good, just want to unwind a bit.”

“I think we can do that for you.” Anya could easily arrange for that.

“Bring your protege,” Clarke then said, looking passed Anya, to the table where said protege was seated.

“Don’t,” Anya warned, her brow furrowing.

“What?” Clarke asked, innocently. Or, what was meant to be innocent. Her smirk at the end gave her away.

“You know what.”

“I have no idea what you mean.” With that, Clarke shot her a ‘come on, please’ look and then turned away, laughing.

As if Anya could do anything other than bring Lexa, now. And Clarke damn well knew that, too.

Letting out a sigh, Anya fought the urge to put her head in her hands, because it was hard enough to ensure everything was running smoothly at the best of times, never mind when Clarke was around. Adding on the issue of Clarke and a white house staffer...well, no, it was better not to think of that.

“Okay, so, for Clarke’s get together, can we-” Anya rattled on, pulling the room back to her, and started issuing orders. If Clarke needed to unwind, then they’d make that happen.

*0*0*

It was two days later, exceptionally early, and the janitorial staff were still making the rounds through the building before everyone’s arrival, when Lexa saw Clarke again.

That impromptu gathering before had been a little surreal, and really, she hadn’t expected to see Clarke ever again. But while trying to get through her email, and sorting out what needed to go on Anya’s desk versus what she could handle herself, Lexa looked up, and there Clarke was, walking into her office.

On instinct, Lexa rose from her seat, standing up, tall, head held high.

“Good morning, Miss Griffin, may I help you with something?” she said, and Clarke was charmed.

“Well, for starters, you can call me Clarke, and second, you know you really don’t have to stand every time I enter a room.”

“I can’t help it,” Lexa admitted, still standing, eyes drifting to the secret service agents now standing outside her door.

“Don’t mind them, they’re not going to do anything unless I scream or something.”

“Right,” Lexa said, and then looked back to Clarke, who was also still standing. “I’m so sorry, please, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything to drink? Water or tea, coffee?”

“Lexa?” Clarke asked, dropping her head to the side, and Lexa nodded, awaiting. “I’m not royalty, you don’t have to wait on me hand and foot.” She smiled at that, and Lexa felt the heat in her cheeks.

“With all due respect, you may as well be royalty, especially in this building.”

“Yeah, okay, that’s fair, but maybe take a seat? Relax a little?” At that, Clarke offered her a friendly smile, and made to sit down, which meant Lexa could, too.

“If I may be so bold, is there something I can help you with? I was not expecting to see you this morning, unless I missed a message-” Lexa began looking on her desk to see if she’d missed a post-it note from Anya (although those were usually tacked onto her screen).

“Oh, no,” Clarke replied, shaking her head, watching Lexa stop looking for something. “No, I saw the office light on and wanted to come say hi. You’re new to the team, we don’t really know each other.”

“You do this with all the senior staff?” Lexa asked, sitting back in her chair as she did so.

“No. Majority of them were on the campaign trail.”

“Ah.” Lexa shifted a little in her seat, and Clarke watched on, curiously. “And you normally hang out in the west wing of the building at five in the morning?”

“No,” Clarke shrugged, not needing to explain herself, and Lexa dropped her gaze. “So how are you adjusting to D.C.? You’re not from here, are you?”

“It’s taking some getting used to, and no, I’m not.”

“Anya breaking you in, I’m sure.” Clarke raised her eyebrows in question, wanting Lexa to expand, despite it being a statement.

“That’s definitely one way to view it.” Anya’s methods were no different here than they were back at Woods & Green.

“How would you view it?” Clarke cocked her head to side, waiting.

“Anya and I, our relationship goes quite far back, we know how to work well together.” They easily could read one another, anticipate the other, and it meant they were a powerful team when they set their mind to it.

“That’s why she brought you on,” Clarke said, no question, and Lexa tried not to let the implication that it was only Anya who wanted her there sting.  

“I don’t think she had final say.” No, there had been many hoops to jump through, or so it had felt.

“No, but her voice was loudest,” Clarke fired back, and Lexa wondered where this was going.

“And you don’t think it should have been?”

“Oh, hey, I’m not saying that. This is my mother’s team, she can decide who she surrounds herself.” The message was clear, and gone was the butterflies over a pretty girl. Clarke might charm with a smile, but she was all teeth.

“But you wouldn’t have it be me?” Lexa asked, bluntly.

“There were others, on the campaign trail.” Of course there were.

“It was my understanding they were interviewed, too.”

“Hmm, yes.” Clarke pursed her lips, and Lexa knew they’d reached an impasse. “Well, I do hope you’re settling in, and you know who to ask if you ever need anything.” Anya.

“Thank you, Clarke. Have a good day,” Lexa said, trying to end their impromptu conversation on a polite note.

“You too.”

Clarke rose from her chair, and Lexa followed, standing as she watched her leave. Only once she was out of sight, did Lexa sit back down, rubbing at her jaw and wondering if she had messed up. It had been a little...tense.

“Was that Clarke I saw?” Anya asked, walking into Lexa’s office like it wasn’t first thing in the morning, coffees in hand as she took a seat. Gone were the pleasantries of ‘good morning’ or even ‘hello’. It was always straight to the point with Anya.

“Yes.”

“What did she want?” That was the question.

“I have no idea,” Lexa replied, honestly, and Anya held her gaze for a second, before moving on. They had a big day ahead of them, and whatever Clarke’s motives had been, they needed to go on the back burner.

Easy done.

*0*0*

By Thursday, Lexa had seen more of her office than her apartment, and it didn’t look to be easing. There was so much that needed to be done before the President left for the weekend, before every weekend, and as the days grew closer, it just meant more hours from staff and Lexa to make everything happen.

So she was huddled over her desk, reading the notes of a meeting she’d had to excuse herself from because she had another three scheduled at the same time and yet had to be at all of them. Anya had also left that meeting, so they were both relying on the rest of the team to stay strong and on message, but from the looks of it-

“Am I interrupting?” a voice said, and Lexa was beginning to recognise that voice anywhere.

“Clarke,” Lexa said, standing abruptly, wondering just how dishevelled she looked. There were probably creases on her pants and shirt, and she was sure her hair was a mess, and why did it even matter?

“Seriously, you’re standing, again?” Clarke asked, and Lexa blushed, feeling the heat in her cheeks. Not that she could help it.

“Is this your new party trick?” Lexa teased, knowing she couldn’t help herself. Plus, Clarke hadn’t quite said why she was there.

“No, but it should be,” Clarke replied, looking Lexa over. “You really need to stop.”

“It’s a habit.”

Clarke stepped into the office and closed the door, which had Lexa swallowing. Had she done something-? Clarke didn’t think twice before moving to take a seat, with Lexa following, facing across her at the desk.

“Let me try something.” Clarke pointed to Lexa’s desk phone, and with a nod from Lexa, she spun it around to use. Clarke dialled a number from memory, and waited, putting the phone back down.

Lexa watched, curious, and waited.

Clarke gave Lexa a soft smile, and Lexa glanced at the clock, wondering what she was waiting on exactly. Then the door opened, and Anya strode in, frowning at seeing Clarke seated across from Lexa.

“You paged me?” Anya asked, looking to Lexa for an answer.

“You didn’t stand for Anya,” Clarke said, before Lexa could reply.  

“It’s Anya,” she explained, shrugging, and Clarke smiled, bright, while Anya realised she was on the end of some sort of insult.

“Hey,” she barked, not entirely sure what was going on, but knowing she should be annoyed.

“You wouldn’t stand up for me,” Lexa waved her hand, and Anya still stood, confused.

“Yet you do for me,” and to prove her point, Clarke stood up, with Lexa immediately following. And then all the puzzle pieces fell into place; where Anya couldn’t help but smirk and she let out a laugh.

“This could be fun,” she said, sharing a laugh with Clarke, who had yet to sit down.

“I think not,” Lexa said, and Clarke took pity on her.

It was out of respect, more than anything, Clarke might not have held a position of power, but Lexa regarded her as being just like her mother, holding the same power, the same presence, and Lexa would always rise for the president, therefore she should always rise for Clarke.

“I’ll stop, maybe,” Clarke teased, “but no, I came here to invite you to tomorrow night’s party. Officially.”

“Oh,” Lexa murmured, recalling their previous conversation.

“I said I would bring her,” Anya added, looking pointedly at Clarke.

“Yeah, but you would have made it sound like a pity invite.” That made Lexa smile, because that’s exactly what Anya had done. “I think after our last conversation, it might have seemed like you wouldn’t be welcome, so I wanted to make it clear you were invited, and you are, welcome.” Clarke paused a second, before realising how pushy that sounded. “Of course, if you have plans, I completely-”

“She doesn’t,” Anya threw in, and Lexa shot her a look, but then shifted on her feet and agreed.

“I am free,” Lexa confirmed.

“Well, that’s great then. You’ll join us?” It actually seemed like Clarke was keen for her to do so.

“Yes, thank you, I’d be honoured.”

“Ugh, stop it, before the power goes to Clarke’s head,” Anya groaned, and Clarke rolled her eyes.

“I look forward to seeing you,” Clarke said, ignoring Anya, and standing once more. Lexa did, too. That made Clarke smile, though she tried to hide it, as she left the office.

“You’re a moron,” Anya declared, as soon as the door was shut. “And don’t you dare think about doing what you’re thinking about doing.”

“What? I’m not thinking anything,” Lexa was quick to say, hands held up in defence.

“Please, you’re smitten, stop it. You disgust me,” Anya dropped herself into the chair Clarke had just vacated, and Lexa sat back down.

“You’re imagining this.”

“No, I’m not. You’re into her, I get it, she’s attractive, but she’ll eat you up and spit you out and I need you to be the terrier I know you are, so behave yourself,” Anya said, not looking up from her phone once.

“Are we done?”

“No,” but actually, yes, because Anya moved on to talk about the upcoming ambassador’s visit, and it was easy to fall back into the work routine.

*0*0*

Lexa wasn’t sure what she was expecting. She knew the White House was impressive, she’d attended a tour when she was eight years old, and always wanted to go back, let alone work there. But the residence, that was somewhere she never saw herself.

“Stop fidgeting,” Anya barked, as they headed from the office. She had a bottle in hand, phone in the other, and Lexa couldn’t work out how she even saw that she was fidgeting.

“Does this ever get easier?”

“What?” Anya asked, eyes flickering up, briefly.

“Being here, this,” Lexa waved her hand, and Anya’s gaze softened.

“Not really, no. Still makes me do a double take every now and then.”

“I’m shocked, you have human emotions,” Lexa murmured, earning a shove as they continued towards the residence.

Anya led the way, having been there many times, and nodded to the agents standing guard at the doors. Lexa watched and leant, knowing that there was always an unspoken protocol going on around these sorts of things.

Once inside, Anya took the stairs, eyes still on her phone, only pocketing it when they turned into the main hallway. The doors at the end were open, and inside, Lexa could see various other west wing staffers, as well as a number of faces she didn’t recognise. And standing right in the doorway was Clarke, dressed down and casual amongst the suits, but looking as good as the last time Lexa had seen her.

“You’re late,” Clarke said, crossing her arms over chest as they approached.

“I was brokering an impressive negotiation between-”

“And I’m bored listening,” Clarke laughed, shaking her head, cutting Anya off, who expected as much. “About time you made it, but no shop talk tonight. And to make up for that, a few of my friends are here.”

“College friends?” Anya asked, looking round, spying a few she didn’t recognise as staff, and Clarke tried not to roll her eyes at the predictability.

“You’re awful.” That seemed more like a compliment than anything else, to Anya.

“Names?”

“Raven, and Octavia.” Anya waited, raising her eyebrows, and Lexa frowned, wondering what was going on. “Raven, talk to Raven. She has a thing for you anyway.”

“Did I forget to tell you how much I love when you come home?” Anya grinned, and then handed the bottle over, leaning in and kissing Clarke on the cheek.

Clarke gave her a push as she began to move away, but she grinned and shook her head, looking endeared more than anything. Lexa could only watch on, wondering how close Anya was with Clarke.

_You’re into her, I get it, she’s attractive, but she’ll eat you up and spit you out..._

“Lexa, thank you for coming,” Clarke said, looking up and giving her a smile.

“Again, thank you for inviting me, and apologies for the tardiness-”

“Please, you don’t need to, I’ve been around politicians, and their staff, my entire life. I know how this works.” Of course she did. “Do you want a drink?” Clarke shook the bottle Anya had brought and Lexa gave a weak nod.

Why was Clarke still talking to her?

“This way, the bottle opener is in the other room,” Clarke said, stepping past Lexa and going across the hall.

From her words, Lexa assumed she was meant to follow, and made slow steps after her, in case she’d misunderstood. But then Clarke shot a smile over her shoulder, as she pushed the door open, and held it open for Lexa.

“Thank you,” Lexa said, feeling very much out of her depth, because what was even happening?

Clarke had friends in the other room. People she liked.

“Did you want a soft drink or water? Or can I pour you a glass of this?” Clarke checked, getting the bottle opener from the drinks cabinet, and starting to remove the wax at the top of the wine Anya had brought.

“If you’re willing, that would be great.” Clarke smiled and nodded, making quick work of removing the cork, and then pouring two glasses. As she did so, her gaze kept flicking up, taking Lexa in.

“What is it?” Lexa asked, curious more than anything. Had she inadvertently done something wrong?

“For Anya’s protege, you’re not what I expected.” Huh, well that wasn’t what Lexa was expecting to hear.

“Oh?” Clarke nodded, handing Lexa her glass, and then leant back against the arm of the couch.

“For starters, you’re not an ass,” she said, and Lexa let out a smile, eyes on the wine.

“I think there are a lot of people who would disagree with you on that.” So many people.

“Okay, but you’re not as big an ass as Anya.”

“Like I said…” That made Clarke laugh, and Lexa smiled her way, both of them knowing it was probably true.

“You worked with her for long?” Clarke then asked, and Lexa wondered if Clarke was really asking to find out more about Anya. Their history…

“We went to college together.”

“You’re the same age? I thought you were younger.” Which was an interesting reveal. Clarke had thought about it, thought about her.

“I am. I was...well, a protege.” There was no point beating around the bush on that one.

“Ah.” Lexa wondered if she’d sounded conceited saying as much. “What made you join us?”

“I thought we weren’t talking shop tonight?”

“I’m curious.” And who could deny Clarke?

“Anya asked me to,” Lexa answered, taking a drink, as Clarke cocked her head to the side.

“After we won,” Clarke expanded, as if filling in the end of Lexa’s sentence, and Lexa shook her head.

“No, she asked me three years prior to President Griffin ever getting in the race.” Not that it mattered.

“When my mom was Senator Griffin?” That had Clarke frowning.

“Yes.” Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat, and took another drink, eyes escaping to look at the door.

“Anya asked you to join her staff as Senator?” Clarke asked again, and Lexa wondered if it would be rude to excuse herself.

“Yes.”

“And you said no,” Clarke stated, pursing her lips.

“I said no,” Lexa repeated, shrugging one shoulder, and trying not to feel like she was under the microscope.

“Wow,” Clarke laughed, surprised with that honesty. “And now you’re here.”

“Yes.” Here, in the residence, with the President’s daughter.

“What made you change your mind?” Clarke asked, and Lexa looked down and away.

“I didn’t change my mind, circumstances changed.” That was all she was going to say on the matter, and Lexa stood tall with those words, trying to make it clear.

She wasn’t Anya’s protege for no reason, and she wasn’t nicknamed the commander by the white house press corps for no reason; so she could surely put her foot down when it came to a pretty girl.

“I’m pretty sure she keeps one in here-” a voice said, as the door opened, and both Clarke and Lexa turned to see who was entering. “Oh, hey!” the girl called, eyes lighting up at seeing Clarke, and with Anya following in right behind.

That must be Raven, then.

“Clarke, Lexa,” Anya drawled, looking between them, her eyes ending on Lexa. “What are you two up to? Party is out there.”

“We were getting a drink, you bought me good wine,” Clarke smiled, a quick change from the defences she had up moments before they came in.

“I always bring you good wine,” Anya said, as if she was affronted she’d ever bring anything other than what could be considered good.

“Speaking of,” Raven sang, shaking her empty glass, and Clarke smiled, shaking her head as she moved to grab another bottle of something for them.

Anya stepped closer as the two of them spoke and set about filling Raven’s glass, and Lexa couldn’t help but fight the urge to shift nervously on her feet.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Anya warned.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Sleeping with the President’s daughter, stupid,” Anya said, slowly, quietly, and Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat. That wasn’t- she wasn’t- no- Anya had that wrong-

“Speaking from experience?” Lexa fired back, knowing her protests would fall on deaf ears.

Anya cocked her head to the side at that question, and then took a drink, slow, stalling, and fucking hell, she had. She had slept with Clarke. Jesus. Lexa’s lip curled at the thought.

“Don’t,” Anya said, warning, and it was as if the tension became palpable, because Raven and Clarke stopped talking and looked over at the two of them.

“I think I’ll go say hi to the others, in the other room,” Lexa said, easing a smile, shoulders still tense, as she made her leave.

Anya remained rooted to the floor, and as the door closed behind Lexa, she could hear Clarke and Raven both start to ask what that was all about. Good luck explaining that one, Anya.

*0*0*

The rest of the night, Lexa remained with the other staffers, laughing with Gina and Miller, and even smiling at something Bellamy said. They were slowly coming round to her, as she was still an outsider from not being on the campaign trail, but it was happening, slowly but surely, she was being welcomed in.

Given everyone’s schedules and plans for the weekend, the night didn’t go on long, and Lexa excused herself well before the others. She bid her goodbyes, and seeing Clarke deep in conversation with her friends, Lexa opted not to interrupt and started to head away.

She made the long walk back along the hallway, knowing if she was lost, an agent somewhere would point her in the right direction. And that’s exactly what Lexa thought was happening when she heard the sound of footsteps after her, several of them, and had she walked into some restricted-?

“Lexa,” Clarke called, practically jogging down the hallway, agents at her back moving with her, and Lexa couldn’t quite believe the sight.

“Clarke,” she replied, coming to a stop, because there was no way she was going to keep walking with Clarke trailing behind.

Letting Clarke catch up. Lexa stood, curious, and went over a dozen different scenarios in her head about what Clarke might want. Only, when Clarke got there, she was a little out of breath.

“I know better than to do anything physical when drinking,” she joked, and Lexa’s mind went straight into the gutter as she cocked an eyebrow in question, before realising who she was talking to. “Okay, maybe not everything physical,” Clarke teased, following where Lexa’s mind had gone and enjoying the heat on her cheeks.

“Was everything alright-” Lexa began, and then waved her hand, indicating to Clarke’s presence, while trying to move the conversation on.

“Yeah, I just-” Clarke paused and bit her bottom lip. “Thanks for coming tonight,” she finished, and it felt like there was more, but then again, maybe that was wishful thinking on Lexa’s part.

“Well, thanks for inviting me, I had a good time,” Lexa replied, smiling softly, and Clarke narrowed her eyes at her words.  

“Really?” she asked, and Lexa could almost feel Clarke’s curiosity over what had gone on with Anya.

“Yes,” she finally answered.

There was a pause on Clarke’s part, before she spoke again.

“Well, I’m glad. We should do it again sometime.”

“I don’t think the president is going to be away like that for at least a few months, and what with everyone’s schedules, it might make it tricky, but sure, if you can work out the dates.” Clarke smiled, slow, nodding and then let out a sort of sigh into the next smile.

“Have a safe journey home, Lexa.”

“Thank you, goodnight, Clarke.”

And that was the last Lexa saw of her.

She found out that Clarke left the following week, along with her friends, and with their departure, the icy atmosphere between Anya and Lexa thawed, and they returned back to normal.

Neither of them spoke about what was said in the residence, what accusations were made, and neither of them were going to broach the topic again.

It was in the past, to stay there, for good.

*0*0*


	2. Risky Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are strained with Anya; and Lexa sees Clarke again.

*0*0*

“What has you smiling?” Lexa asked, slouching in a chair in one of the basement meeting rooms.

“I’m not smiling,” Anya replied, shooting her a glare, also slouched, with her phone in hand, and definitely a smile toying at her lips. 

They’d been in the room for hours, trying to deal with what might be nothing, but definitely could be something, in regards to one congressman’s comments to the press, and if they didn’t come up with a strategy soon, their best bet was to just never let President Griffin near a reporter or camera again. 

“You were; what are you looking at?” Anya seemed to debate it for a second before turning her phone, and Lexa leant forward to see it properly. 

It was Raven and Clarke, drunk by the looks of things, in some bar, but grinning at the camera, and it looked as though the sender had tacked on a message at the bottom;  _ you’re missing a great night.  _

“Ah, so that’s why you wanted out of here hours ago,” Lexa mused, putting two and two together. 

She wasn’t even aware Clarke was home. 

Not that it mattered. 

“I wanted out of here hours ago because this shouldn’t be the only plans I have for a Friday night.” 

“No, especially not when that company is on offer,” Lexa nodded towards the phone, and Anya gave a quick nod. 

“Not that you’re bad company, but they are…” Anya grinned again, and Lexa shifted in her chair, trying not to put two and two together on that one. 

“Well, if you want to go, I can finish up here.” There wasn’t much to finish up; she could write up notes and pass them to Anya before they needed to go to Kane. That would be about it. 

“You’re sure?” Anya asked, already moving to sit up. 

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a Friday night, you have plans, go.” Anya didn’t waste time getting to her feet and following Lexa’s advice. 

“You want to come?” she asked, pausing at the door, as if an afterthought, and Lexa paused, too. 

“No no, I’ve got this,” she replied, shaking her head, and Anya gave her a nod. 

“Thanks again.” 

It shouldn’t have made Lexa’s stomach roll, the mere thought of Anya out with Clarke, yet, there she was, feeling nauseous as she gathered her things. The chair in her office was better, and getting out of the basement for a few hours, to a room with a view seemed more appealing. And maybe, just maybe that would be enough for Lexa to focus on her work, and not on what Anya might be doing with Clarke. 

*0*0*

“Guess who’s coming home for the weekend?” 

The question was posed over late night coffees, while surrounded by bad ideas scribbled on papers and worse ones scrunched up on the floor. Anya hadn’t lifted her head when she spoke, and Lexa hadn’t really been paying enough attention to care. 

“Hmm? Who?” 

“Clarke.” Now that had her attention, and she froze, momentarily. 

“Oh; isn’t President Griffin going to be-” 

“Yeah, but Clarke’s not coming home to see her. She has a long weekend, doesn’t want to spend it in her dorm room.” As if it would be a bad dorm room.

“Right, makes sense. So do you want Friday night? I can cover if anything comes up,” Lexa asked, practically tasting the bile as she spoke. 

She’d done it before, albeit weeks and weeks ago, but still. If this was the new norm, she’d need to get used to it. 

“You don’t mind?” Anya replied, looking up from her phone, briefly. She had given up on helping, and was ‘delegating’. 

“No, not at all.” Liar. Fucking Liar. 

“Don’t stay too late, okay? Out here by half nine at the latest.” It came over as a joke, but Lexa knew Anya was serious. 

“As if you can lecture me on staying late,” Lexa murmured, fighting the need to roll her eyes. That earned a crack of a smile from Anya, and it was then as if Clarke had never been mentioned. 

It was easier if she wasn’t. 

Lexa was still thinking about her, in the hallway, in the residence, in her office, and it was not conducive to a productive day. Fantasies and daydreams were the fool’s passage of time, and Lexa needed to keep her head down, her life in motion, where Clarke Griffin was not concerned.

If that meant avoiding Anya while Clarke warmed her bed, then so be it. That was how things needed to be. Might make work a little tricky, but Lexa was a pro at indifference when the time called for it. 

So onwards their night rolled, and into the next, and before Lexa knew it, it was Friday, and Anya was leaving the office at six, phone glued to her hand, and a smirk on her lips. No amount of work could distract Lexa from the fact Anya was heading out with Clarke. 

Back was the nausea, and the headache, and the foul mood. But really, what right did she have to feel this way? 

Anya had obviously made a move, or Clarke had, but they had, as two consenting adults, and it was none of Lexa’s goddamn business. So what, she was attracted to Clarke? So what, she felt a connection with Clarke? Anya was a friend, Anya was clearly happy, and Lexa needed to remember that and get over herself. 

The smart thing would have been to pack up early and go home, but all that awaited her was a wilting house plant and bad TV. So no, Lexa stayed. Partly to punish herself for thinking for one second she had any right to be pissy about Clarke and Anya, and partly to keep her mind off the two of them. 

It sort of worked. 

It was easy to bury her head in the sand when need be, and given the amount of work that had to be done, passing the time was relatively simple. One task led into another and then another and better check that before doing the next, and even though she was powering through it all, the mountain of work didn't seem to be getting any smaller. 

“What are you still doing here?” a voice said, catching her off guard. 

“Clarke,” Lexa said, rising to her feet as soon as she saw her, dropping her glasses onto the desk, and Clarke rolled her eyes at the gesture of her standing for her. 

“You have to stop that.” Yeah, so she kept saying. “But seriously, what are you doing here? It’s just past eleven o’clock.” For a moment there, she almost sounded concerned.  

“I was just...what are you doing here?” Lexa wondered, because Anya had wanted the night, and it didn't make sense for Clarke to be there, instead of with Anya. 

“I was bored, and Anya asked me to make sure you had gone home.” 

“Right,” Lexa said, nodding, of course. “I’ll leave soon, I was just…You don’t have to do this, you can go back to Anya, I’m sorry for interrupting your evening.” That was the last thing she wanted to do, especially with Anya in the residence, and god. That was a blow, just realising that. 

“What? Back to Anya? I’m not...Anya isn’t with me tonight,” Clarke said, shifting on her a feet, and Lexa paused. 

“Oh,” she murmured, sure that Anya had said-

“She’s out with Raven,” Clarke went on to say, as if working out what Lexa had mistakenly thought. 

“Oh,” Lexa repeated, suddenly understanding that Anya was telling Lexa about Clarke’s return so she knew, not because…Right. Well. Okay. Now she felt like a right fucking idiot. “Still, you shouldn’t have had to come over and check-” Lexa went on to say, realising that Clarke was still standing there. 

“I called security first, to do a round for me, and they said you were still here,” Clarke admitted, a hint of heat appearing on her cheeks. 

“And you came over even though you knew I was?” Security could have passed on a message easily enough. Told her to go home. 

“Maybe I also wanted to see you.” Lexa licked her lips and swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. 

“Why?” That made Clarke laugh, slow at first, before shaking her head, and eyeing Lexa with a gaze she was unfamiliar with. Or rather, unfamiliar with Clarke looking at her that way. 

Costia used to look at her that way, once upon a time. 

“Do you have anyone waiting for you at home?” Clarke then asked, changing the topic, and it made Lexa pause for a second. 

“No, I’m not...I live alone.”

“And I can assume that you probably haven’t eaten dinner tonight?” she asked, her eyes taking in the office, looking for the telltale signs of wrappers or takeaway containers. 

“It slipped my mind,” Lexa replied, and Clarke rolled her eyes, a smile toying on her lips, however. 

“Well, do you want to get something to eat, with me?” 

“You need to eat?” Why hadn’t she just said yes like a normal person? What was wrong with her?” 

“It’s not even eleven yet, of course,” Clarke said, as if it was a ridiculous question to begin with. 

“Then, yes, I’d- I’d like that very much, thank you.” 

“So formal,” Clarke teased, and Lexa knew she was probably blushing again. “Come on, I’m pretty sure we can rustle something up together.” And with an offer like that, Lexa nodded, and set about grabbing her things.

Clarke waited outside, with her agents a little further back, giving them privacy, as Lexa locked her office and turned out the lights. Together, they headed through the west wing and towards the residence, with Clarke leading the way. It was done in mostly silence, with Lexa casting a look over every now and then, taking in Clarke, and shaking her head. 

Was this really happening? Was Lexa dreaming? 

And Clarke seemed to be doing the same, her eyes catching Lexa’s every now and then, smiling when she did, then ducking her head, and it was endearing to watch. 

Lexa had to be dreaming. There was no way this was really happening. 

On arrival at the residence, Clarke told Lexa to make herself at home, as if that would ever happen, and then led them into the kitchen. Seeing Lexa standing, practically rooted, by the door, Clarke let out a small laugh and came over to stand in front of her. 

“Can I take your stuff?” she asked, softly, and Lexa found herself nodding, swallowing the lump in her throat as she did. 

Clarke reached out, taking the bag off Lexa’s shoulder, along with the coat in Lexa’s hand, and placed them on a chair by the kitchen counter. She then turned back and stepped into Lexa’s space, barely inches between them, and placed her hand on the lapel of Lexa’s suit jacket. 

“May I?” Another nod, and Clarke pushed the jacket off Lexa’s shoulders, revealing the slightly crushed shirt beneath, and with Lexa sliding the jacket off properly, Clarke placed it along with the rest of her stuff. 

“Don’t feel like you’re still at work,” Clarke said, still close, and for Lexa, work was the last thing on her mind. “I mean it, make yourself comfortable,” Clarke repeated.  

“I’ll try my best,” Lexa said, nodding, her heart racing and her palms clammy. 

“Help me make some food.” It wasn't an order, as Clarke smiled softly, and the two of them then turned to the kitchen cabinets. 

Clarke opened the fridge after coming up short, and Lexa stepped behind her, looking over her shoulder to see what there was. 

“Are you feeling sandwiches, or do we dare try and cook something more complicated?” she wondered, and Lexa tried to focus on the food in the fridge, she really did. Her silence was answer enough, as Clarke looked back, to see Lexa looking down, admiring her, and she smirked. “Orh, you know, we could skip food altogether?” 

“Hmm?” Lexa asked, looking up, caught. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, feeling a fool, but Clarke simply laughed. 

“Sandwiches?” 

“Please,” Lexa replied, not daring to say anything else, as Clarke started handing things back to her. 

Together, they went back to the main counter, spreading out some of the ingredients, Clarke gathering the rest, and worked in silence. Only when they were almost done did Lexa ask Clarke if she could get her something to drink, then having the task of opening cupboards to find glasses, and pouring the both of them water. Moving to the table, Clarke placed the plates down, as Lexa brought over the drinks, and they took a seat opposite one another. 

Only when seated, a few bites in, did Lexa realise how surreal the entire night felt. It was almost midnight, she was sitting in the residence, opposite Clarke Griffin, eating a sandwich, like it was an everyday occurrence. What was her life right now? 

“So,” Clarke began, pulling Lexa’s attention. “I have to ask, why did you say no?” Lexa looked for more detail, frowning because there was no subject. 

“To what?” she asked, taking another bite. 

“When Anya asked you to join Senator Griffin’s office, why did you say no?” Clarke repeated, waiting, watching, as Lexa nodded, chewing and swallowing, hearing the question but wishing she hadn’t. It wasn’t exactly a topic she wanted to talk about. 

“It was bad timing. I couldn’t.” That was her go-to answer. And it usually worked. 

“So what changed?” Usually being the key word. 

“Clarke,” Lexa said, low, soft, but Clarke was unperturbed. She was still eating herself, but seemed more interested in grilling Lexa than eating at that point. 

“I’m just...you worked at Woods & Green, I checked, you worked there when Anya asked, and you continued to work there, until recently. So what changed?” 

From the outside, it did look that simple. Nothing changed. Lexa didn’t have a job she couldn’t leave. She didn’t have commitments. She didn’t have anything that would suggest she couldn’t just get up and leave. 

What was more revealing, though, Clarke had asked, she had checked, and that had Lexa putting her shoulders back and her eyes moving over to look back Clarke’s way. 

“My partner,” she answered, trying to beat round the bush, because she didn’t want to bring it up, she didn’t want to focus on that part of her life.

“Law partner? I thought Woods & Green was partly your mother’s. Anya said it’s a family business.” Anya needed to shut her mouth. 

“It is, that’s not…” Lexa paused, and then sat a little taller. There was no point, she was going to have to say something eventually. “My wife, she left me.” Lexa took a deep breath before going on. “Anya offered me the job so I could get a change of scenery, do something new, but I couldn’t. I was still struggling.”

And it didn’t get easier. Those weren’t words she liked to say. Those weren’t memories she liked to remember.  

“Lexa,” Clarke said softly, shoulders dropping, and Lexa shook her head. 

That was another thing she didn’t want, the pity. So what, her wife left her, it wasn’t the end of the world. She just needed time. She just needed time to understand who she was without Costia, without that part of her life, and back then, it wasn’t going to be as simple as picking up and moving. Anya had thrown her a lifeline, but Lexa hadn’t even been sure she wanted to keep swimming at that point. 

“As you can see, now, things are different,” Lexa said, wanting to highlight that she was there now, she had turned up, she had moved on. 

That was the past. 

“Anya got back in touch with you?” Clarke asked, and Lexa nodded. “What made her think you would take the job this time around?” 

“She said she’d resign if I didn’t.” 

“She what?” Clarke balked, sandwich long forgotten. 

“We have been close, for a long time. She doesn’t make empty threats. I knew she was serious.” And it had been just the right amount of fear to make Lexa move. 

“She was going to resign? From a campaign she helped win?” Clarke was still sitting there with disbelief.  

“Like I said, she doesn’t make empty threats.” Lexa shrugged, knowing Anya had orchestrated it so Lexa wouldn’t be able to say no, but looking back, she was glad it played out that way. 

“So you didn’t even want to be here, you just didn’t want her to resign,” Clarke then said, and Lexa was quick to shake her head. That was not the impression she wanted to give. 

“No. I did want to be here, I just didn’t think I deserved to be a member of the winning team when I wasn’t there to help them win.” She’d had her chance, and she’d said no. Nothing had changed after Anya’s threat, she had still said no, and it seemed highly unfair that she should waltz in, to a high ranking position, mind you, over someone who had spent months helping orchestrate Senator Griffin’s win. 

“And I came to your office and reaffirmed that thought,” Clarke said, dropping her head. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be, this is how the game is played.” Lexa knew that very well. She knew what she was getting herself into when she moved. She wasn’t a rookie. And that was another reason why she was there. 

“I hate the game,” Clarke replied, and Lexa remained silent, knowing there was probably more to it. “I’ve watched people play it my entire life, and I never want to be one of those people.” 

“You mean like me?” Lexa asked, and Clarke paused, opening her mouth to speak, before making a resigned face. 

“Is it horrible that I want to say yes? But don’t take it the wrong way, Lexa, I just...politics isn’t for me.” Lexa found that hard to believe, given the way Clarke orchestrated herself. 

“And politicians?” That was the next question. 

“You’re not a politician.” Lexa grinned at that, intrigued Clarke avoided the question. 

“Lucky me, or I suspect I wouldn't be sitting here.” Clarke smiled, too, and shrugged, nodding a little, neither confirming nor denying. “Why am I sitting here?” Lexa then asked, being bold for one short moment. 

“I thought that was obvious.” As Clarke spoke, smirk on her lips, she got up and began clearing the plates. Lexa followed suit, until they were both standing, a few feet apart. 

“Humour me,” she said, and Clarke turned, taking her in, licking her lips as she did. 

_...she’ll eat you up and spit you out... _

Those words rang true as Clarke stepped closer, backing Lexa up into the counter behind her, with one of Clarke’s hands resting on the worktop behind Lexa, and the other on the front of her shirt, the first button above her belt. 

“Jesus,” Lexa murmured, unable to stop herself as Clarke’s fingers undid the button, slipping under her shirt, running across her stomach and making Lexa’s hips surge forward. 

“Actually, name’s Clarke,” she grinned smugly as she said it, and Lexa groaned, dropping her head forward, until she was so so close to those lips she’d been admiring. 

Clarke seemed to be doing the same, her gaze moving from Lexa’s eyes, down to her lips, and then back up again. The hand that had been on the counter was now on Lexa’s waist, and the one under her shirt had settled on the top of her belt. Her intention was clear, and Lexa felt her breathing grow heavier as she looked at Clarke, dilated pupils staring back. 

Her hand moved, up Lexa’s waist, grazing along the side of her bra, and then onwards, to her neck, and finally cupping her jaw, turning Lexa’s head that last little bit until their foreheads were touching. She was leaning into Lexa at this point, and swiping her tongue across her bottom lip, her breath ghosting her cheeks, it was only a matter of seconds before one of them closed the last of the distance. 

Clarke’s impatience grew, because next thing Lexa knew, her hand had tugged on Lexa’s belt, their hips bumping together, which was met with a smirk, and Lexa couldn’t take it anymore. She whined, it was definitely a whine, as her hands came up, one on Clarke’s back, the other on her neck, moving up into her hair. 

She caught the last of Clarke’s breath as she closed in, kissing her firmly, once, feeling Clarke sink into her more, and then again, her lips chasing Clarke’s. Lexa opened her mouth into the next kiss, letting her tongue swipe across Clarke’s bottom lip, which had her breath catching again, but she met Lexa’s tongue with her own. And things escalated from there. 

Clarke’s fingers fumbled with the front of Lexa’s belt, and she pushed her back into the counter, hard, nipping at Lexa’s bottom lip. It wasn’t all on Clarke, however, as Lexa’s hands slipped down her waist, trying to pull Clarke that little bit closer, remove any space between them and get the friction they were both longing for. 

Her tongue teased into the next kiss, her lips pillowing Clarke’s bottom lip as she pulled away, as they both leaned into the other, both making the decision, clothes needed to go. At that, Lexa’s own hands were moving towards her belt, Clarke was still trying, but with the added distraction of Lexa’s lips now on her neck, kissing, and licking, and scraping her teeth across the skin, she was getting nowhere. 

The sound of a door closing, not far from them, had them both freezing, panting heavily into the other, but frozen. There were footsteps, and then the door again, followed by silence. 

It was a very real reminder they were not alone. 

Fuck. 

It was like a bucket of cold water over the two of them. 

“I should go,” Lexa whispered, knowing she couldn’t, she wouldn’t be able to act any further upon it now. 

“Yeah,” Clarke added, biting her lip, gaze still fixed. 

It would have been far too easy to follow Clarke back to her bedroom, or hell, lift her onto the kitchen counter right there and then, but Lexa was reminded this was technically her place of employment. Okay, so not the residence exactly, but in order for her to leave, she was going to have to go back towards her area of work, and that screamed this was possibly a miscalculation. 

What was she doing? 

The president, she knew for a fact, was home; and there she was, feeling up Clarke in the kitchen. 

Christ, if she was caught, she was going to get fired. 

“Let me walk you out,” Clarke said, seeing the change in mood, and Lexa shot her a thankful smile. 

Before moving, however, Clarke redid Lexa’s belt, and then the button on the front of Lexa’s shirt, gently patting her abdomen to say she was good to go. Her touch almost had Lexa reconsidering. 

Almost. 

From there, Lexa grabbed her things, and followed Clarke back through the residence. There was no sign of whoever it was that had disturbed them. There was no sign of anyone other than the agents stationed at specific doors. 

Together, they stopped at the end of the long corridor Clarke had chased Lexa down that night of the party, an area Lexa knew well enough to exit from. There wasn’t much to say. Lexa’s body was still buzzing, still longing, and she knew Clarke was probably feeling the same way, if her gaze was anything to go by. 

Rather than linger, prolong the inevitable, she cut it short. 

“Goodnight, Clarke,” Lexa said simply, not knowing what else to say. And because she was an idiot, she leant in, and kissed Clarke’s cheek, as a farewell. It was a risky move, given their previous entanglement, but worth it all the same. 

“Night, Lexa,” Clarke replied, smiling softly, watching her go, letting that be the last of them for tonight. 

Lexa tried not to look back a she headed away, but couldn’t help herself, and Clarke smiled wider seeing her do so. She returned the smile, before moving out of sight, and Lexa couldn't help but shake her head. 

Right. 

So. 

That happened. 

That had actually happened. 

How? How had that even happened? And what...never in her wildest dreams did Lexa think anything like that could ever have been possible. Never did she think that a woman like Clarke Griffin would be interested in her. Never did she think that she’d be kissing Clarke Griffin of all people, and in the residence to boot. Never mind the rest. 

Her life, right at the point, felt surreal. Like she was living a dream, a fantasy, a damn good one at that, but still, a fantasy all the same. 

Tonight was one night, no matter what, she’d never forget. 

*0*0*

Lexa knew after that Friday night, she would need to be careful with her next move. It had escalated so quickly, it had the potential to go further, and she needed to work out how to go from there. 

She’d spent all weekend thinking about Clarke. Thinking about what she wanted, and how Clarke fit into that, and it all came back to the idea that one night was never going to be enough. She liked Clarke, she liked who she’d gotten to know so far, and she wanted to get to know her more. Okay, technically she could do that, from within the confines of a bed or even up against a hard surface, but it was different. 

Lust was one thing, but that click, that connection, it was rare, and Lexa had felt it, wanted to feel it again, which meant trying. 

Who knew if Clarke felt the same way, but Lexa had to try and find out. Unfortunately, that meant talking to the one person who knew Clarke better than most.

“Can I talk to you?” Lexa asked, falling in stride with Anya as she looked over her phone, heading back to her office. 

They’d had a few meetings that morning, but none presenting the opportunity Lexa needed to get Anya alone and speak to her. So instead, she was working to ensure that she didn’t let the day pass without trying to catch a few moments of her time.

“I have to speak to Gina, can it wait?” Anya muttered, still looking over her phone, narrowly avoiding walking into those around her. 

“Yeah, of course,” Lexa replied, and then shook her head. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe she wasn’t meant to talk to Anya about it. Maybe she just needed to forget anything ever happened in the first place. “You know what, don’t worry about it, it's a waste of time anyway.” As she spoke, Anya looked up, stopping, and narrowed her eyes. 

“No, wait, hold on, what’s this about?” Of course, now she had her attention. 

“Nothing, honestly.” It was better this way. 

“You wouldn’t come to me over nothing.” 

“Anya,” Lexa said, shaking her head, but Anya wasn’t having any of it. 

“Go wait in your office, I have to speak to Gina, but I’m coming right over-”

“I have to meet with-” Lexa tried, but Anya didn’t care.

“Send someone else.” As if it was that easy. 

“Anya-”

“Do it, or, you know what, I’ll do it. Go wait on me.” Anya didn’t give her any room for argument, pointing in the direction of Lexa’s office, before heading in the other direction. She’d expect to find Lexa waiting, and if she didn’t, she’d track her down and make the situation worse. 

Lexa felt ridiculous. She shouldn't have said anything. She should have kept her mouth shut. And that was all she could focus on as she sat in her office, squeezing the anti-stress ball between her fingers, eyeing up the actual work she should be doing. 

Anya didn’t take long, however, before she was walking into Lexa’s office without knocking, door closing behind her, and taking a seat. Her phone wasn’t in sight, and Lexa had her full attention, which spoke to the gravity of the situation. 

“You’re going to think this is stupid,” Lexa said, already feeling a fool. 

“You know how I know it’s not? You asked me before talking about it.” Anya had a point there. “Come on, what’s going on?” 

“It’s about Clarke,” Lexa said, hoping that was enough, but Anya didn’t make a move, didn’t say a thing, and that made it worse. “Like I said, it’s not important, and I shouldn’t have wasted your time-”

“Stop it,” Anya groaned, waving her hand. “Did you sleep with her?” 

“What? No,” Lexa said quickly, shaking her head. She hadn’t. She hadn’t. 

“You want to,” Anya supplied, and that made Lexa pause. Yes, she did but...

“I-I...Anya that’s not-” her voice was softer, her brow furrowed, and it took all of two seconds for Anya to catch on. 

“Christ, you want to date her.” That made Anya slump back in her seat, and she let out a sigh. 

“Anya,” Lexa said slowly, seeing what was about to happen. 

“No, you don’t get to talk right now. I’m doing the talking,” Anya fired back, and yep, too late, Anya was pissed. “Has anything happened between the two of you?” 

“No.” The kiss didn’t count. Not technically. Not the way Anya meant, anyway. 

“But came close?” At that, Lexa nodded. If they hadn’t been interrupted, if she hadn’t then pulled away, if... “Where?” 

“Residence.” Anya’s face changed at that, and it was one of the rare times Lexa had seen her surprised. 

“You were- you were in the residence with her?” 

“She invited me over for food.” Anya scoffed at that. 

“She invited you over to fuck.”  

“Anya.” At that, Anya rolled her eyes. 

“Lexa, let’s not play dumb, especially where Clarke Griffin is concerned. You might want to forget, but I know her very well. Intimately, even.” Lexa didn’t need that reminder, and the glare she shot Anya was answer enough to that. 

“Your point?” 

“If this is just going to be a one time thing, I’d advise against it. It can get messy and you don’t need that.” 

“Speaking from experience?” Lexa asked, and Anya smirked, before her lips curled. 

“You’re jealous, I get it. But campaign trails are long and hard and it’s easy to fumble into bed with a colleague every now and then. So sue me, we slept together. It was nothing more than wanting a bit of company after a heavy day. Not that I need to justify my decisions to you-”

“You’re right, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-” Lexa began, closing her eyes, knowing she was in the wrong. 

She had no right. 

“No, best to get it out. Because if you are going to be one of those women, that falls into her bed like I did, then you damn well better know it’s on her terms, never yours.” 

Silence fell between them for a moment, and Lexa looked Anya over, wondering, and throwing caution to the wind because it was better just to ask. 

“Did you want more?” She wasn’t sure she really wanted the answer, because that would change things considerably, but she had to, she had to ask. 

“No,” Anya replied, shaking her head, and Lexa knew her well enough to know that she was telling the truth. “Clarke’s a friend, nothing more. That’s ancient history.” She stressed the latter words, and Lexa dropped her head back, sighing. 

“I’m sorry for bringing this up.” 

“You want my advice, right? That’s why you brought it up?” Lexa nodded, and Anya sat forward in her chair. “If you want to be her fuck buddy, that’s on your own head. If you want anything more than that, tell her before anything happens. She’ll back off pretty quickly if she’s not interested.”

“And if, hypothetically speaking, she does want what I want…” That was a big hypothetical, but Lexa was being a masochist and hoping. 

“I’d say don’t flash your relationship around, not until the President knows, but aside from that, do as you please. There might be fallout, but I’ll have your back every step of the way.” 

“Sure it’s worth the hassle?” The unspoken question being, sure she was worth the hassle? 

“Answer me this, when was the last time you wanted to date someone, for real?” Lexa let that hang and Anya grinned. “Then yeah, all the shit that’ll come along, it’ll be worth it.” With that, Anya rose to her feet, stretching as she did so. “Talk to Clarke, don’t do anything stupid just because she’s attractive and charming. Talk to her first.” 

“You make it seem like I wouldn’t be able to resist her,” Lexa commented, watching as Anya moved to the door. 

“Please,” Anya laughed, “or has it already slipped your mind that I know exactly how charming Clarke can be?” 

“Get out,” Lexa replied, laughing and Anya grinned, hand on the door handle. 

“Oh just one last thing,” she said, pausing, “as we’re on the topic of our private lives, I may or may not be in a relationship.” She spoke as if her teeth were being pulled, and Lexa tried not to smile that Anya was opening up, when she clearly hated doing so. 

“Raven?” Lexa asked, assuming that’s who it had to be.

“Yeah. She’s…” Anya shuffled on her feet, and then shook her head, standing tall. “She’s moving in with me.” 

“What?” That was a surprise to be hearing. 

“Yeah, once she graduates...I...I’m living the goddamn stereotype, I know, but…” Little bit, but then again, Anya normally moved at snail’s pace, so Lexa knew Raven had to be someone special for Anya to take such a step. 

“You don’t need to justify yourself,” Lexa said, repeating Anya’s words. That was met with a soft smile, and Anya nodded. 

“I’d like you to meet her, officially. I know you met her months ago, back at Clarke’s party, but...I’d like you to meet her again.” As Anya’s girlfriend. 

“Of course, set something up.” 

“Right,” Anya said, shaking off the moment. “Talk to Gina at some point today? She has a press release you should see before it goes out, and for fuck’s sake, avoid Kane at all costs. He’s pissed off, and it’s not our fault, so don’t even give him the time of day.” 

Lexa wasn’t sure she was going to follow that particular directive, but she nodded, and Anya shut her door as she left. 

So, she needed to talk to Clarke, she needed to be open and honest and see where it went. Might be one of the biggest mistakes she could make, but what was the saying, no risk, no reward? 

Yeah, where Clarke was concerned, the risk was definitely worth it. 

*0*0*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tweaking chapter three; but should be posted tomorrow night if all goes to plan. 
> 
>  
> 
> [comfortablyobsessed.tumblr.com](http://comfortablyobsessed.tumblr.com/)


	3. Your Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa gets mail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few of you asked in the comments so for awareness, their titles: Kane is Chief of Staff, Anya is Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Lexa is Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Gina is Press Secretary, Indra is Special Adviser to the President. 
> 
> Also...look what you all did, this was only meant to be 4 chapters....now? Seven, eight, maybe ten....  
> Updates should be every two or three days, however, that won't change.

*0*0*

Anya’s words of everything being on Clarke’s terms was reaffirmed to Lexa in the weeks that followed their conversation. Mostly, because Lexa never saw Clarke. It wasn’t like she had her number, nor her email, and could get in touch. So it was radio silence. 

That helped put a lot of things into perspective. 

She would see, from the information passing across Gina’s desk, Clarke’s movements from the residence to campus, coming back every other weekend, and then the odd prolonged stay. But yet, they never saw one another, and Lexa was beginning to think she’d misread the situation. 

Perhaps it had only been a one-night thing for Clarke, one that was interrupted, but enough all the same. 

That thought stung, but Lexa was grown up enough to accept it. That wouldn’t be the first time for her, and probably not the last, so she needed to get over it. A crush was a crush, sometimes fleeting, other times not, and in the case of Clarke, she needed to put it behind her. 

Was there still that curiosity, that want for more? Yes, of course. But she wasn’t going to risk so much on a one-night stand. What if it got out? What if people found out? That certainly wouldn’t help her do her job. In fact, it would do the opposite, she’d be on the out, the White House a few lines on her resume, not to be discussed. Many before her had fallen at the hands of a stunning woman and their inability to keep it in their pants, and Lexa needed to ensure she wasn’t going to be one of them. 

So all thoughts of Clarke were banished, which was easy enough to do as the weeks passed by. For those that lingered, Lexa knew just how to take care of them; throw herself into work, which Lexa was very good at. It was how she got by in life, and it was easy to stay busy where she worked. Very easy. There was always something going on, someone wanting something, someone to speak to, and time passed easy enough. 

“Where am I meant to be this afternoon?” Lexa asked, coming from back to back meetings, having lost track of the time, and possibly even her own name.

“Anya has the basement room booked out,” Maya replied, looking over the schedule. “I’ve blocked off the next hour for you to have lunch, so you have plenty time until then.” God, on days like those, Maya needed a raise for being so brilliant and securing her peace and quiet.

“Ugh, lunch,” Lexa groaned, “I might skip it today. I don’t want to go down to the canteen.” The selection wasn’t bad, but she didn’t want to run into anyone who wanted more time than she was willing to give, especially if Maya had got her the hour. 

“Why would you need to? It’s on your desk.” What now?  

“I didn’t order lunch.” Lexa shook her head, knowing she hadn’t and knowing she hadn’t asked anyone else to get her some. 

“Well, someone’s brought you some,” Maya said, looking as perplexed as Lexa, nodding towards her office.  

Frowning, Lexa wandered inside to see what Maya was talking about. Right enough, there was a sandwich and a salad, both in their plastic containers, front and center on her desk. 

Stuck to one, however, was a light blue post-it note. 

_ You need to remember to eat, don’t let the job consume you x _

And that was it. Part of Lexa wondered, eyes moving to the door to see if maybe, just maybe...but no, there was no indication on who it was from. 

Regardless, she took the post-it notes’ advice, and tucked in. 

Now, if that had been the only post-it note, Lexa wouldn’t have thought anything of it. She had effectively stopped thinking about Clarke, she had blocked her from her mind, and she had pushed that night back to the corners of her mind. But it wasn’t the only post-it note, and the next one meant there was no denying it was Clarke. 

None whatsoever. 

That day, Lexa had been on the edge, stressed to the hilt, and ready to just drop into a heap on the floor and sleep. Some pissy congressman was causing chaos, screwing up their count of the vote, and that had Anya on edge, Kane on edge, everyone on edge, and Lexa was doing her best, but shit was hitting the fan and months of hard word looked to be about to go down the drain. 

It was not a good day. 

The only silver lining, they’d left their ten a.m. briefing, passing the outer corridor around the oval, and Lexa saw her, standing at the other end, smiling as she spoke to god only knows who. 

Clarke. 

As stunning as ever, she was immaculately dressed, smart casual, but enough to indicate she was there for business, not pleasure. And then she looked up. 

Lexa couldn’t help it, she smiled, ever so slightly, and Clarke smiled back, but that was it. Lexa fell back in step with Anya and Bellamy, ignoring their bickering, and walked right past her without saying anything.

It had been the right move to make, because no one knew, no one but Anya, but that was it. And Lexa wasn’t going to draw attention to something that didn’t matter. Something that was in the past. Something that had meant more to her than Clarke. 

Or so she thought. 

By eight that night, Lexa was returning to her office, only to grab some notes before going back to Anya’s, when she spotted it. Stuck to the front of desktop screen, the light blue post-it note stood out. 

_ Please don’t stay past ten, you looked exhausted today. Gorgeous, but exhausted. x _

And how else was she to take that? It had to be her. So maybe it wasn't as one-sided as she thought it was. 

Given how Clarke had previously checked to see if Lexa was still in the building, thanks security, Lexa ensured that she was out of her office by 9:50 p.m. just in case Clarke used those means again. If she did, she'd know Lexa followed her advice.  

*0*0*

The post-it notes continued. There was no telling when Lexa would get one, when one appear, and yet, Clarke was never to be seen. She never signed her name, which actually was wise given the number of people in and out of Lexa’s office, and when she was in the building, she never sought Lexa out. There seemed to be an unspoken rule between them. 

It was all on Clarke’s terms, and Lexa wasn't to try and contact her. That part made Lexa a little uneasy, but it didn’t stop her heart racing every time she saw one of the post-it notes, didn’t stop her coy smile when she passed Clarke whenever she was in the building, didn’t stop Lexa wondering if there was ever going to be more. 

“It's black-tie for Friday,” Anya said, wandering into Lexa’s office, closing the door behind her. “I'm going to wear a tux. You wearing one?”

“I'd prefer to,” Lexa replied, having prepared both a long black dress and her tux. They knew well enough in advance that it would be black-tie, but she hadn't decided on what to wear. 

“You bringing a date?” Anya asked next, and Lexa sat back in her chair, slouched. 

“I didn't know I could,” she answered, honestly. There were options when it came to dates. She might have been receiving post-it notes from Clarke every other week, but she’d also met a few women for drinks on the side, keeping her options open, seeing if they elicited any similar response. 

“There's space on the table.” So she could take someone if she wanted, but then, that would feel awfully like she was stringing them along. 

“We're working though, right?” Weren’t they always? 

“Most likely,” Anya said, rubbing her temples and sighing. 

“Then I will pass. Give the space to Maya or one of the other secretaries.” Anya nodded at that, making the mental note to pass the details along. “Are you bringing Raven?” 

“She's back on campus. Can't make it.” Which answered Lexa’s question about whether the First Daughter would be there. “Clarke’s going to be there.” Or maybe it didn't. 

“Oh?” Lexa tried to look uninterested but most likely failed. 

“You managed to speak to her at all?” Anya asked, trying to gauge Lexa’s mood on the topic. 

“No.” She shook her head, and debated mentioning the stack of post-it notes that were tucked in her top drawer. 

“That’s a pity” Anya said, and Lexa agreed, but it wasn’t the end of the world. 

She was a consenting adult, and had willingly gone with Clarke, willingly touched her, and willingly kissed her. There was no blame to be found. These things happened. 

“Well, there are going to be a lot of attractive women on Friday, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations will definitely get you a few numbers.” Anya’s smirk was sinful, and Lexa laughed, looking away. 

“Shame the title is only that,” Lexa remarked, changing the tone of the room, looking at her computer screen, as she spoke, and avoiding Anya shifting in her seat. 

“The President will come to trust you, she will bring you in.” It wasn’t that she was completely on the out, she just wasn’t where Anya was. 

“And until then? I'm just to continue herding the cattle?” That’s what it felt like most days. 

“You do more than that. Give it time.” 

“You’ll warn me when I'm on the out?” Maybe it was because it had been a really long month, maybe she was tired. 

“Do you hear yourself? You're not going anywhere. Is this about Clarke?”

“No, no,” Lexa replied, shaking her head, because it wasn’t. It really wasn’t. “I just…maybe I just need a break or something.” Lexa knew she was good at her job, but some days were just taking their toll.

“Take some time off, after Friday, take some time off,” Anya repeated, and Lexa ran a hand through her hair, nodding. 

She was used to high stress environments, she was used to long hours and little reward, but this was a whole other ball game. Some days it felt like she achieved nothing, or others, where she lost more than she won. 

The staffers might had accepted her, at least, becoming her friends, helping her create a life for herself in D.C. And Kane, her boss, had taken her under his wing. Se knew she had a good team of people around her, yet, she just couldn’t shake the dissatisfaction that hung around. 

“So, Friday, everything ready?” Lexa asked, changing the topic, and Anya willingly let it drop. 

“You know how these things fall apart last minute, but yes. President Fischer touches down on Friday morning, she has the press conference at lunch, we are in meetings prior with her senior staff, and the afternoon, a few more strategy sessions before the banquet at night.” Anya rattled off the details, more so to highlight the ‘we’ part of that sentence, and Lexa shot her a thankful smile. 

“Sorry to interrupt, this was dropped off for you,” Maya said, having knocked on the door, walking in and handing over an envelope. 

“Thanks,” Lexa eyed the clock, nearing nine, as she spoke, “I’ll be leaving shortly, Maya, head on home, and I'll see you in the morning.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, thanks again.” Maya gave them both a smile, and bid them goodnight, as she closed the door. 

Lexa looked back to the envelope, which had caught Anya’s attention, too, and wondered what was inside. The handwriting was familiar enough, and curiosity was getting the better of her. 

“Do I dare ask?” Anya said, nodding to the envelope that was sitting front and center, standing out against the dark grain of wood. 

“Better you don't.” Because Lexa didn't want to lie. 

“This the same person who has been leaving you post-it notes?” Anya asked so blasé, but Lexa was working hard to hide her shock. “I'll take that as a yes.”

Rising to her feet, Anya let a smile play on her lips as she headed to the door. Lexa knew there would be more, knew she'd have to say something else before leaving. 

“You should take that time off, after Friday. I don’t want to see you for another two weeks, okay?” That hadn’t been what Lexa was expecting, but she nodded and then made a noise, a whine, halting Anya.  

“Does she talk to you?” About me? But Lexa was never going to say the final part aloud. It was obvious who they were talking about. 

“Yes,” Anya nodded. “I get the late night phone calls where she wonders if she’s going to ruin your career.” And that might have been the most revealing thing Anya had ever said to her. 

“Why haven’t you said anything sooner?” Lexa asked, frowning. 

“You started looking elsewhere, I thought maybe you saw the same risks she did and thought better of it.” The other women, the drinks. 

Well, that was certainly food for thought. Especially with the envelope still in front of Lexa. 

“I'll see you tomorrow?” Lexa asked, not wanting to acknowledge that topic any further, which made Anya laugh. 

“Yep, night.”

The door closed behind Anya, and Lexa wasted no time in opening the envelope. It was in the regular tan envelope, like all the other mail that passed through there, but the writing on the front, it was all Clarke. 

Lexa had expected there to be some kind of letter, but that wasn’t the case at all. Two words, and then a phone number. 

_ Your move _

It made sense, Lexa would grant Clarke that. Up until then, it had been Clarke leaving Lexa notes, Clarke getting in touch with her. Now, Clarke was trying to see if Lexa would do the same. If it was one-sided. 

She wasn’t sure when she was meant to call exactly, but no time like the present. Lexa picked up her deskphone, typing in the relevant prefix before entering the rest, leaning back in her chair. It wasn’t too late, Clarke was surely still up and about, probably around, unless she had plans-

“Hello,” Clarke said, and Lexa sat up, for some reason surprised to actually hear her voice. 

“Hi,” she replied, softly, unsure. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to call.” 

“No?” Lexa asked, looking back down to the digits written across the piece of paper before her. Had that not been the intention? 

“Well, not tonight at least. Are you even home yet? This wasn’t a cell number.” Ah, she was too keen. She’d called too soon. Jesus, Lexa. 

“I’m in my office,” she answered, because where else would she be? 

“Long day?” Clarke asked, 

“Something like that.” There was no point getting into the details, not with Clarke. That wasn’t what they were going to talk about, they both knew that. 

“I know it’s been a while, but...I’m sorry for vanishing on you,” Clarke said, filling the silence Lexa left on the line. 

“You don’t need to apologise,” she said, shaking her head, because Clarke owed her nothing. They owed nothing to one another. 

“No, I...I should have spoken to you, sooner.” That would have been nice, for lack of a better word, but maybe it was for the best. 

“The post-it notes were cute,” Lexa admitted, knowing they had done more good than Clarke probably realised.  

“I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to see you, or at least let you know I was thinking about you.” 

“I thought…” Did she really want to finish that sentence? 

“You thought?” Clarke prodded, and Lexa figured she didn’t have much to lose by being honest. 

“I thought I only got one chance, one night.” There was silence, and Lexa heard Clarke moving about on the other end of the phone. 

“You did,” Clarke confessed, ending the silence once more, “my terms, my rules, you get one night, and that’s it.” So what changed? “But, there are always exceptions to the rules.” 

“Is that what I am?” Lexa asked, wondering if she was getting a second chance to warm Clarke’s bed or...

“I don’t know what you are, yet, but I want to find out,” Clarke admitted, and that was revealing. 

“And giving me your number?” She was full of questions tonight, it seemed. 

“Maybe I was reading too much into...everything. Maybe I wanted to know if you even still cared.” 

“And now?” 

“You called,” Clarke hummed, and Lexa could hear the smile in her voice. “This could be risky, you and me.” 

“Anya said as much.” For how long had Anya been speaking to Clarke? Now many times had Clarke wondered? Those were questions for another day, however. 

“Oh?” 

“You think you’ll ruin my career?” 

“I know if this got out I would ruin your career. I can see the headlines now, Deputy Chief of Staff Sleeping with First Daughter. They’d have you in front of the party, in front of my mother, and if you’re lucky, you’d get to slink away to some private practice job.” 

“My, how optimistic we are,” Lexa remarked, laughing under breath. But Clarke wasn’t far off. 

“I-” Clarke started, but stopped, and Lexa waited, wanting to know what she was going to say next. “I want to explore this, but I understand you have a lot more on the line than I do. We can’t exactly meet for coffee, or grab a drink now, can we?” 

“You’re going on Friday?” Anya had said as much, that meant surely, surely, they could see one another.  

“I am. I take it, you will be, too?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” 

And that gave them the perfect excuse. No one would think twice of Clarke and Lexa talking, sharing a drink, it wouldn’t be out of place. They didn’t even need to say they’d see each other then, it was a given. 

“I should let you go,” Clarke sighed, and Lexa sat forward in her chair. 

“You’re not keeping me.” 

“You should head home, though, it’s late. And let me guess, you’ll be in at six tomorrow morning?” Clarke certainly knew her well. 

“There’s a lot to do,” Lexa said, already eyeing up the work that was waiting for her, that she likely wouldn’t even get to, because there would be a new bit of drama come first light. 

“Yeah, go home, Lexa, get some rest.” 

“But this is much more enjoyable.” It truly was. 

“How are you getting home?” Clarke said, that smile edging into her voice. 

“I’m walking.” And chancing a look out the window, Lexa was relieved to see it wasn’t raining. 

“I don’t even want to know how close you live,” she muttered, and Lexa could picture Clarke shaking her head. 

“Not as close as you,” Lexa fired back, laughing. 

“Touche.” 

“Why does it matter, anyway?” 

“Hang up, and call me when you get off White House grounds,” Clarke then said, and that had Lexa smiling. 

“Are you giving me an incentive to go home?” 

“If it works,” Clarke laughed, and Lexa looked around her office, debating how long it would actually take her to get out of there. 

“I’ll speak to you shortly, then,” she said, and Clarke’s laughter had her grinning.

“You’re serious?” 

“I’m going to call you as soon as I hit the pavement.” Damn right she was serious. 

“You better,” Clarke said, and Lexa could picture the smirk. 

So, she hung up, grabbed her stuff, hit the lights and locked her door. Her coat was on by the time she walked into the first corridor, and from there, her leisurely walk was now a power-walk. It wasn’t as though she could run in the White House. 

“Where’s the fire?” Gina called, narrowly avoiding slamming into her at the main foyer. 

“No fire, just…” Lexa’s grin must have given her away. 

“Hot date waiting on you?” Gina smiled, and Lexa felt the heat in her cheeks. 

“Something like that.” 

“Well, enjoy, I want details tomorrow.” That wasn’t happening, but Lexa grinned, bidding Gina goodnight, and headed for the door. 

She made it out, hitting the pavement a lot sooner than she normally did, but then again, she normally could still breath by the time she got there, too. That didn’t deter her, though. 

Clarke answered after the first ring, laughing into her hello, and although she’d rushed to get out, she walked slow to go home, enjoying listening to Clarke. Not that it mattered, because although Clarke heard her open her front door, heard her arrive home, she didn’t opt to go. 

They stayed on the phone well close to midnight. 

“Can I call you again tomorrow?” 

“Only if you’re out the office, on the street, by eight forty five, barring no emergencies of course,” Clarke said, and Lexa laughed. 

“I accept the terms, and I look forward to speaking to you tomorrow.” 

It was no surprise, to either of them, then, when Lexa called at eight thirty seven the following night. Her intentions were clear, they were both on the same page; this was worth exploring, no matter how hard it might end up being in the long run. 

*0*0*


	4. Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday night, where Clarke and Lexa plan to meet up.

 

*0*0*

Friday night was going exactly as Lexa expected it to go. It wasn’t her first rodeo. She’d almost been there close to seven months, and there had been a few banquets and balls they’d had to host. But this one felt different, for two reasons. 

One, the obvious, the girl sitting three down from her mother, looking like a gift from God themself. 

Two, Anya was practically spitting blood, and that meant Lexa had to weigh in. 

She enjoyed the starter, but missed both main course and dessert; instead, holed up with Anya in her office, making phone calls, trying to call in a few select favours, and hitting a brick wall. 

“No one has it.” 

“Someone has it. It’s leaking all over fucking twitter,” Anya moaned, sitting back in her chair, tugging at her collar. “We’re fucked. I can’t...I’m going to fucking kill him.” 

“Before we commit murder, can we take a breath? This can’t be as bad as it seems,” Lexa said, knowing it wasn’t the first D.C. tell-all book promising to spill the beans of the White House. There would be fifteen minutes of fame for him, and then people would get on with their lives. 

Lexa had no interaction with Finn Collins, but Anya had simply said, the details would hurt them, and that made her move. Lexa had never met the man, nor did she want to. That was probably better for Collins, too. 

“Any luck?” Gina asked, sticking her head in. She’d been doing the same in her office, trying her best, but obviously was encountering the same issues they were. 

“No, no one’s talking. No one’s sharing.” 

“He’s shopping around, I don’t think the full manuscript is out there. I think twitter is his way of finding a buyer,” Gina reasoned, coming in and closing the door. She, too, had been pulled away from the banquet, dressed to the nines, but work mode on. 

“Well, it’ll work. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t fighting off publishers now,” Anya replied, crossing her arms. 

“Can one of you explain why we should be so worried? He was what, with the campaign for how many months? How much interaction did he actually have with anyone?” Lexa asked, knowing she was missing a key part of the story. “We get a copy when everyone else does, we push forward with our agenda, we make it clear some disgruntled intern from the campaign doesn’t have the attention of the White House.” 

“That’ll be one part of our strategy, but we’ll need to do some damage control. And someone needs to tell the President,” Gina said, acknowledging the second part of Lexa’s words. 

“Kane is going to talk to her tonight. Media blackout though, yeah?” Gina nodded, and Anya looked to the clock. “You should go back to the party, we’ve done what we can. If any press stop you-”

“I know, no comment, we’re focusing on President Fischer’s visit, and have a good weekend.” 

“Thank you,” Anya said, giving her a wave as Gina left them. 

When the door clicked shut again, Lexa turned back to Anya, eying her across the desk, seeing the slight furrow of her brow, and opted to just ask what she needed to know. 

“Are you going to tell me why we’ve spent two hours trying to get a copy of this manuscript?” Anya had received a phone call, dropped what she was doing, made a gesture across the ballroom, and Lexa had followed her out. By the time she hit the main offices, Gina was on their tail, Ontari on the phone, Bellamy handing her another cellphone as they walked, and Lexa knew something had gone wrong. 

Anya had simply described it as a campaign intern trying to sell his story of them on the road, and to get a copy of the manuscript before it was too late. So Lexa did as she was expected, she called around. Now she wanted to know why. 

“He dated Clarke,” Anya said, watching Lexa carefully. 

“Oh.” So it was personal. 

“They were together, briefly, on the campaign. On and off. It wasn’t serious,” Anya made a dismissive wave of her hand, and spoke on, “he left us when it was clear him and Clarke were never going to be something. He found out...some things, and he wasn’t too pleased. He left us rather abruptly. It was nothing at the time.” But now it was something. 

“So he had access, to the President, to the senior staff-” Lexa began, working out just what Finn Collins would have been privy to. 

“Where Clarke went, he went, at least for the first few months of them being together.” 

“And then?” 

“They were on and off a bit, but then they were on, and he had this ridiculous idea. He wanted to make a show of them, his grandfather was some congressman, it was very strange. As if political dynasties were coming together. Like it would help the campaign.” Anya made a face, shaking her head, lip curling. “Clarke called it off, for good, and he was gone.” 

“What does he know?” That was the key question. That was going to impact how they handled the fallout. It was better to workout the defence strategy if you knew exactly what the offense was going to do. 

“He knows what the first daughter looks like in the throws of passion, as it were. Is that not enough?” Anya said, distaste oozing out of every word. 

Yes, normally, that would be enough. Lexa understood how the team rallied around their own, and Clarke was one of their own. There just seemed to be something a little more. Lexa knew Anya well enough to know when she was holding back. 

“That can’t be it. You wouldn’t be this...rattled if that was it. You’d have him by the balls and be reminding him the First Family is off limits, so if he wanted to work again in D.C. then he better cut that shit out. You wouldn’t be calling in favours to see what he has.” 

The fact that Anya didn’t know the full extent of what Collins might know was information enough. 

“He knows more than that about Clarke.” Lexa frowned, wondering what else there was to know. “I’m in the book,” Anya then said, and ah. Right. “I’m not going into details, but he knows about that.” 

“And the President?” 

“She probably knows, too.” 

“Anya,” Lexa warned, because that damn well wasn’t what she was asking. Something else was going on. 

“This will go one of two ways,” Anya began, and Lexa was about done with her beating around the bush on this. “He’s smart, and he doesn’t mention it, or, he’s stupid, and he makes it the main part of his book.” 

“And if he’s stupid?” Because already Lexa had decided he probably was. 

“There will be an investigation, depending on what he says. If it goes badly, for us, Marcus will be expected to hand in his resignation, and the President will most likely be censured, if not impeached.” 

“On what grounds?” 

“How do you think it would play out? President sleeps with Chief of Staff...worse, they’ve been together throughout the entire campaign. Those interviews where Abby’s asked about those close to her in her life? Entering the White House without a First Husband? How many times do you think they’ll play that on the news, on the radio, in the papers, next to whatever drivel Collins has said?” Anya sunk back in her chair, shaking her head. “You know how much this country hates women? How much the world hates women? This gets out, they’ll crucify her, there’s no coming back from this. They’re find something, anything, hell, how about misleading the voters? They could make that stretch.” Anya was practically seething, and she took a deep breath as she leant forward onto the desk.  

“I didn’t know,” Lexa said, shaking her head. She’d never seen that side to Marcus or...

“You wouldn’t, you weren’t on the campaign; and only a select few know. Now you do.”  

“Do you really think he’s that stupid?” It was a game changer if he was. 

“I do,” Anya said, bags under her eyes.

“And you’re sure he knows?” 

“No.” And that’s why she was so fucking worried. 

Now it made sense. 

“And Clarke,” Lexa murmured, because it was going to hit her no matter what. She wasn’t getting out unscathed. Her name was going to be prominent in that book. 

“Gina’s got a strategy for that, we have her covered.” That eased some of the worry, but not enough. 

“And you?” Likelihood, if Abby and Marcus weren’t mentioned, if Collins didn’t know, or was smart enough not to even dare, then Anya and Clarke definitely would be. 

“I’ll manage just fine.” That wasn’t the answer Lexa wanted to hear. 

“That’s not good enough,” Lexa fired back, getting to her feet, ignoring Anya’s calling, as she walked out her office.

She travelled the distance across the West Wing, towards the Communications offices, relieved to see those that had come away from the party had now returned. Gina’s door was shut, blinds drawn, and with a knock, Lexa waited until called before heading inside. 

“Don’t tell Anya,” Gina laughed, caught, sitting behind her desk, instead of going back to the party, as soon as she saw who it was. 

“Do you have a plan for her?” Lexa asked, cutting to the chase, closing the door, and Gina gave her a soft smile. Lexa didn’t venture in, merely leant back against the door itself and waited. 

“She doesn’t want me to put one together.” 

“And? You and I both know, you can’t go out there with half a strategy. You’ll protect Clarke, but Anya?” Gina rolled her eyes, stretching her arms and fighting a yawn. 

“I have some information, which could come in handy, it’ll take the heat off them both. We’ll see what Collins says, and we’ll do damage control from there.” 

“I’m standing by her in this, no matter what.” 

“I know,” Gina laughed. “It’s not lost on me that what I say or do with the press might determine whether we keep both our Deputy Chief of Staffs or not.” 

“It wouldn't be your fault if we resign. Public perception can be damning.” 

“No, but we’re a team, and you can guaran-fucking-tee I’m not letting Finn fucking Collins break that up.” 

“Want to join me at the party?” Lexa asked,smiling at Gina’s ferocity, and feeling the need to celebrate that with a drink. 

Gina laughed, but nodded, accepting Lexa’s arm, as they headed back towards the ballroom. They had their phones, they could be reached. Until they got any news, it was best to just go enjoy what they could salvage of their evening. 

*0*0*

The ballroom was still in full swing. President Griffin, and President Fischer for that matter, might have left, but their guests, their staff, they were enjoying the drinks that flowing, the band that was still playing, and the company. 

Lexa was, too, having found the rest of the team, seated at a table, laughing at the antics that had occurred, and gossiping like they were back in high school. Nothing out of the ordinary for them, then. 

Only, as Lexa listened in to the conversation happening, her eyes drifted across the room, finally landing on the one she was looking for. 

And Clarke was looking back. 

At the tables, earlier, Lexa had only known she was wearing a royal blue dress, from what she could see. She’d missed her entrance, and that had been a shame, but now, she was making up for it. She could see Clarke, head to toe, the curls of her hair, the redness of her lips, the understated jewelry, and the dress, that clung to her, hugged her in ways Lexa wished she could. 

“I’ll be back,” Lexa said, in case anyway was listening. Gina only laughed, shaking her head, and that gave the rest of the table the hint that no, Lexa wouldn’t be back. 

As soon as Clarke saw Lexa standing, she excused herself from whoever she’d been standing with, and made her way towards the main doors. Following her out, a good ten paces behind, Lexa watched as Clarke took a detour into one of the rooms leading back towards the private quarters. 

She entered in behind her, and Clarke was waiting, in the empty hallway, masterpieces on the walls, but nothing compared to the woman that was smiling back at Lexa she closed the door at the back of her. 

“Hi,” Clarke said, and Lexa approached, her eyes taking her in, saving the moment. 

“Hi,” Lexa repeated, knowing her brain wasn’t giving her much to work with. “You look stunning,” Lexa said, honestly, openly, and Clarke looked away, shaking her head. 

“Thank you,” she replied, smile warming, stepping that little bit closer. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She was teasing, her eyes alight with mirth, her hand reaching out to play with the front of Lexa’s tux jacket. 

“Have you had a good evening?” Lexa asked, feeling Clarke’s touch. 

“A better one than you, I’m sure. I saw Anya storming about earlier. Whose ass is on the chopping block tonight?” If only she could be so honest. 

“Thankfully, not mine.” If Clarke didn’t know, she wasn’t going to say anything. She couldn’t. That would be mixing work with pleasure, and Lexa knew better.  

“You missed most of dinner.” She had, but she didn’t think Clarke would have noticed. 

“Duty called. Did I miss much?” 

“The salmon was particularly good,” Clarke remarked, shrugging, and Lexa could play along. 

“Shame, because that’s obviously what I was most looking forward to,” she teased, earning a laugh. 

“Pray tell, what were you most looking forward to this evening?” She was fishing, but Lexa was biting. 

“Seeing you,” she answered, honestly, and they both laughed, with Clarke biting her lip, and Lexa dropping her head to the side, admiring.  

“You’re as charming as they say you are,” Clarke went on to say. 

“They?” That piqued Lexa’s interest. 

“You’re earning a name for yourself, and people talk.” She shrugged, but they both know Lexa’s charm wouldn’t come up in conversation. During work hours, she certainly wasn’t charming, that was for sure. 

“And they tell you how charming I am,” Lexa prodded, knowing there was more. 

“Or, maybe I happened to be in the ladies room when a group of women came in. They were particularly kind in regards to you.” 

“You eavesdropped?” 

“No, of course not, I joined them,” she said, as if Lexa’s suggestion was ridiculous. 

“You joined- you joined their conversation, about me.” What-what was happening?

“It was fun,” Clarke smirked, and that had Lexa shifting on her feet, just wondering who Clarke might have been speaking to. 

“Do I dare ask who was there?” Already she was mentally running through the invite list, trying to think just who it could have been. 

“No one you’ve slept with, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Clarke replied, and Lexa left out a sudden laugh under breath, feeling the heat on her cheeks. She had follow up questions, but she was absolutely not going to ask them. 

“So what else did they say?” 

“You’re kind, sweet,” Clarke began, and Lexa couldn’t help shake her head with every word. She didn’t disagree, per se, but Clarke was enjoying this too much. “You put your people first.” 

“I have people?” Lexa asked, wondering for real whether that was true or not. 

“Please, you have half my mother’s staff at your beck and call,” Clarke replied, as if that was obvious. 

“They’re my employees,” Lexa reminded her, and Clarke rolled her eyes. 

“I know them, I know they won’t dish out compliments unless truly deserved.” So it had to be Gina, Maya, Ontari, the rest of the team. 

“Well, I must thank them for thinking so highly of me, although, I’m not sure they did me any favours by saying I was charming.” 

“The charm works for you, and they weren’t lying,” Clarke said, hands still on the front of Lexa’s tux, but now slipping inside, on her waist.  

“It does?” 

“Mmmhmm,” Clarke hummed, smiling, and Lexa closed her eyes as Clarke moved in. “My brain is telling me to take this slow, but my body is telling me otherwise,” Clarke whispered, breath hot against Lexa’s ear. 

“Slow,” Lexa murmured, fighting the urge to just turn her head. “We should take this slow.” And all the reasons why were flooding Lexa’s brain. 

It was hard enough before, but now, with what was coming. A physical relationship with Clarke would get messy, and risky, and they didn’t need that on top of everything else. 

Clarke accepted Lexa’s word, smiling softly, unhurt, as she put a little space between them, removing her hands from Lexa’s waist. But to let her know Lexa was still interested, she reached out, taking Clarke’s hand in her own, finger entwining. 

“I get it, I do, I’ll behave,” Clarke said, and the honesty in her words had Lexa’s shoulders dropping. Clarke didn’t get it all, but she understood they couldn’t be hasty with whatever this was. 

And on the note of understanding it all, Lexa was mentally obsessing over what was to come, what might be revealed, and she just, she had questions, she needed to know. 

“You slept with Anya,” Lexa said, unable to stop herself. 

Clarke’s eyebrows rose, not expecting that, but she didn’t pull her hand away, which was a start. 

“Yeah,” Clarke said, looking away. “I don’t make a habit of this,” she began to explain, as if that was Lexa was hinting at.. 

“It wouldn’t be my business if you did,” Lexa then said, knowing she shouldn’t have brought it up. There was no excuse. Whatever was coming, she would deal with, did she need to get Clarke’s first hand account? Idiot. 

“No, but I want you to know, Anya was…” Clarke let out a sigh. “No matter what I say, it’s going to sound ridiculous, but she was there. Our rooms were on the same floor, next to each other, and she was...I kissed her first, and it was...I needed someone and she was there.” 

“Clarke-”

“No, come on, it bothers you, right? That’s why you were so pissed off with her at the residence party, months ago?” Right. The party. 

“I had no right to be,” Lexa said, and Clarke nodded in agreement. 

“No, you didn’t, but you were. Why?” That was a good question. 

Jealousy? Maybe. But there was more. Anya was always professional, that was one thing Lexa could always count on. So to hear she’d been so stupid, so foolish, as to spend a night with her candidate’s daughter, it made Lexa’s stomach roll. That didn’t sound like the Anya Lexa knew.  

“I thought it was wrong she slept with you,” Lexa admitted, catching Clarke’s inquisitive gaze. 

“Would you think it wrong if you slept with me?” That had Lexa closing her eyes, swaying a little with the answer. They both knew how close Lexa had come to sleeping with her. Hell, if Clarke hadn’t pulled back earlier, would Lexa have? 

“Yes,” she answered, honestly, and Clarke looked taken aback once more. . 

“Why?” 

“Because…” She recalled what Anya said, and focused herself again. “Because it’s unprofessional? Because it’s a risk I don’t need to take? Because I don’t just want to be someone you call to warm your bed? That’s not me.” She never could do sex without feelings, and Clarke needed to be aware of that. 

“What do you want?” Clarke then asked, and Lexa thought about it for a second, and the dance they’d been doing with one another.  

“I’d like to...I’d like to get to know you more. I’d like to take you out, on a date, if you were willing.” It was the God’s honest truth, and she had nothing to lose. Okay, so they couldn’t go out in public, but they’d work something out. There were plenty ways to have a date.  

“You know, I asked you out before, and you turned me down, so why should I say yes now?” Clarke replied, a smile on her lips as she spoke, and wait, what? 

“You asked me out? When?” This was news to Lexa. 

“The residence party, when you were heading home. I chased you up the hallway, and I said that we should do it again sometime.” Had Lexa really missed that? 

“That's not asking someone out, Clarke,” she replied, because no way would she have misunderstood. 

“Apparently not, because you turned me down,” Clarke said, smiling.

“I wouldn't have turned you down.” She would have stuttered a response, she would have fumbled over her words, she would have said yes. 

“No?” Clarke checked. 

“No.”

“Well, I’m not asking. Not after that,” she teased, and Lexa laughed. 

“Good thing I am, then.” Lexa smiled, biting her bottom lip, before pulling the courage together to actually say the words. “Would you like to go out sometime? On a date, with me?” 

“Funnily enough, I figured the date would be with you.” 

“Clarke.” 

“Lexa,” she repeated, and Lexa couldn’t help but laugh again. 

“If you don’t want to-”

“I want to,” Clarke said, cutting her off, and Lexa held her gaze. 

“You do?” Her question was met with a slow nod. 

“I do,” Clarke confirmed. “You’re the exception, remember.”

Right.  

That had Lexa smiling, moving closer, and Clarke grinned too, leaning into Lexa’s body, her eyes fixed on Lexa’s lips, and it would only take one movement for them to kiss, one simple movement...

“I said I’d behave,” Clarke then sighed, eyes closing. 

“You did,” Lexa replied, nodding. “But I didn’t.” And Clarke let out a laugh as Lexa leaned, in, capturing her lips, smiling into the kiss. It wasn’t heated and lust-filled, but tender, soft, and Clarke chased Lexa’s lips into the next kiss, smile slowly dropping, until they were both panting for breath, for the other. 

It was only the buzzing of Lexa’s phone that pulled the moment to a halt. And Lexa groaned, reluctant to move away, but that was what the job required of her. 

“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” Lexa said, reaching into her jacket, reading the number, and shooting Clarke an apologetic look as she stepped away.  

“Hello?” 

“Lexa, Tris here, I got your message, and I think Senator Cartwig can help you,” Tris said, to the point, and Lexa stood up straight, intrigued. From the numerous calls she’d made, Tris’ number had been a shot in the dark. 

“Is that so?” Lexa replied, wanting to be sure. In the background she could hear Clarke’s phone going off, and of course, after a while someone would want to know where the First Daughter had gotten to. 

“Can you meet?” Tris asked. 

“Name the place and I’ll come right over.” She wasn’t giving Tris the chance to push this out, to hold on until tomorrow. If Tris could help, then it had to be tonight. 

“I’ll text you the Senator’s address.” 

“I’ll see you there.” There was no goodbye, all business, and that had been one of Tris’ better qualities. 

Hanging up the phone, Lexa put it back in her pocket, listening as Clarke ended her own phone call. Lexa remained put as Clarke walked over, and Lexa knew the question before she spoke. 

“You have to go?” 

“I do,” she nodded, and Clarke didn’t look surprised. 

“What is going on, anyway? Everyone seems to be on edge.” And rightly so. But Lexa, she couldn’t. Clarke might have been asking out of curiosity, but she was still the First Daughter, and Lexa was still Deputy Chief of Staff. She couldn’t. 

It wasn’t her place. 

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Clarke then said, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t…” 

“It’s fine, you weren’t…” she wasn’t fishing, she wasn’t trying to extract knowledge and information, she was just curious, it was harmless. 

“Don’t feel bad about leaving, anyway,” Clarke went on to say, brushing that moment off. “I need to go, too.” 

“Oh?” 

“My mother wants to speak to me. I have to head over to the oval.” Right. So the President had been updated then. 

“You should go,” Lexa said, stepping closer. 

Clarke opened her mouth, as if she was going to ask again, but then she shook her head again. 

“No, go, I shouldn’t put you in that position again. I’m sure I’ll find out when I’m meant to.” Clarke stood up straight, and together they walked back through towards the noise of the party. It would set them both back on the right paths. “I’ll speak to you later?” 

“Yeah. If not tonight, then tomorrow.” 

Lexa wasn’t sure what sort of goodbye to go for, so she opted for embracing Clarke in a hug, enjoying the way Clarke wrapped her arms back around Lexa, and they held that. It was needed, the comfort, the embrace, the feeling of someone being there. And that’s exactly what Lexa could feel, from the heat of Clarke’s body, to her every breath. 

“If you need me, call me,” Lexa said, pulling back, placing a soft kiss to Clarke’s cheek. Clarke returned a smile, moving back, too, and smoothed out the front of Lexa’s tux. She got the message. She knew something was coming. 

“Night.” And with that, Lexa made her leave. 

Back to work. 

*0*0*

It was two hours later, when Lexa climbed into the back of a town-car, the driver already with instructions to go back to the office, that Lexa felt things were no longer on the out. There was light at the end of the tunnel. 

Anya answered after a few rings, and before she even had a chance to speak, Lexa was getting to the point. 

“I’ve got the manuscript, I’m coming back.” She could practically hear Anya sitting up in her chair. 

“Digital copies?” Anya checked, and Lexa tried not to roll her eyes. What was she, a rookie? 

“One hardcopy, and one flash drive with the digital copy.” 

“Who returned your call?” 

“Senator Cartwig’s office.” 

“What did you need to give up?” There was always a price. 

“We take the call when the Senator calls.”

“Blank cheque, couldn’t have got her to tie down what she’d want?” Anya grumbled, but Lexa ignored that and ploughed on. 

“Her daughter is nineteen, she read some of the manuscript and reached out.” 

“And that has nothing to do with you meeting Tris for drinks every other week?” Lexa knew better to go for drinks with one of Anya’s friends, however, she’d take the teasing. There was no point rising to the bait. 

“The Senator said if this had been about her daughter, she’d hate for it to see the light of day, and doesn’t think this should, either. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have the White House owe you a favour.” 

Callie had been very open about that fact, her words coming out through gritted teeth. Men and politics. Lexa had stood by the mantelpiece, weighing in when she needed to, with Callie’s staff around the room, planning what their next move needed to be. 

Tris had calculated that Lexa was the right move, that the White House could do more for them than Collins ever could. He was nothing in D.C. and didn’t know how to play the game. 

“How’d she even get a copy?” Anya asked, because there had to be a reason, a motive. 

“He credits her with the strategy Kane and you put together during the campaign, and that it was her initiative that secured the voters. He goes into detail, tries to link it back to Cartwig’s voting history, contacts. That sort of thing. It’s plausible.” 

“He wanted her to say it was true,” Anya said, putting the pieces together. 

“Yeah, give validity to the book.” If that was true, then everything else...

“Fucking scumbag. I’m gonna rip his fucking-” Anya ranted. 

“President’s clear,” Lexa said, instead, bringing that rant to an end. 

“Yeah?” Anya checked, wanting to be sure she heard that right. 

“Well, on that one matter, yeah.” There were other things, of course. Some Lexa hadn’t been able to gloss over yet. 

“The rest?” 

“The relationship between Clarke and the President is discussed. It’s not good.” She’d seen a few sections on that, and it revealed a much more precarious relationship than what was ever presented. 

“We can sort that. That can be fixed.” There was going to be lasting damage, no matter what happened. Whether in the public eye, or between Clarke and her mother. “And me?”  

“You’re in it, I don’t know where, I haven’t- Cartwig mentioned it, so it’s in here, but-” That seemed to be enough. 

“Get back, we’ll go through it. Gina’s still here, Ontari and Bellamy are here, Kane’s back, Abby’s still up,-” Anya listed, and Lexa suspected the troops would still be up with this. 

“Clarke was going to speak to her.” It wasn’t a question, but Anya knew what she was asking. 

“She’s been briefed. She’s in the oval. I suspect she’ll want a copy, too.” 

“No.” Over Lexa’s dead body was that happening. 

“Lexa-” Anya began, and Lexa shook her head. 

“We deal with this. We are not giving this to the President or the First Daughter. They need to be able to say they’ve never seen a copy. They need to be clean.” It wasn’t Clarke, it was the First Daughter Lexa was now protecting. Even if she had to march into the oval office herself and tell them, she would. They weren’t getting to read this shit pile Collins was calling a book. 

“I agree but I don’t think this will stop them-” Anya continued to speak, but Lexa was done listening. 

“Unless they’re buying it from a fucking bookshop, they’re not getting one. I’ll be there in five, I’m pulling up.” She was done, and she hung up the phone. Anya would bark at her later for that, but Lexa was not in the mood. 

Stepping out the car, with a thanks to the Senator’s driver, Lexa started making her way back towards the entrance. She could see the building lit up, and she wondered at what time she’d be getting home. Given the manuscript in her hand, and the flashdrive in her bag, Lexa figured it was going to be one long night. 

So much for her getting time off after this evening.That definitely wasn’t going to happen. Lexa’s doing, though. She wasn’t about to step away and leave them, leave Anya, and Gina, and the team, not when this was going to demand so much of their attention. 

And Clarke, she wasn’t going to leave her, not then, not with the eye of the storm right above them. 

*0*0*

 


	5. That's That.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More on the contents of the book, and steps going forward.

*0*0*

Lexa’s weekend was spent in Anya’s office, with most of the team, reading and highlighting all the key parts of Collins’ book. Blue was a small issue; orange was Clarke; pink was the President; yellow was the ones that could sink the ship; and green was Anya. 

First read throughs were then analysed, assessed, and the team were tasked with either finding proof to refute Collins’ claims, or come up with a plan to tackle the fallout. 

Some of it was...challenging, for Lexa. 

Collins had gone for the nitty, gritty details of his relationship with Clarke. So the paragraph and a half on her head game made Lexa homicidal. The intimate details of Clarke’s body, the mole on her inside thigh, to the tattoo on her hip, it had Lexa seeing red. 

Anya was no better upon reading the book, either. Nor did she fare much better. 

“Her cheekbones are as sharp as her tongue, the President’s shark in the White House, Anya Winters enters every room thinking you all work for her,” Anya recited, when they first chanced upon her section in the book. “What the fuck do my cheekbones have to do with anything?” Shaking her head, Anya read on.

“If you’re not happy with that, wait until the next page,” Lexa remarked, highlighting her own copy. 

“What does he say?”

“Like the true shark she is, Miss Winters is a man-eater...and a woman-eater. Her time on the campaign meant she could travel from location to location, bedding campaign interns along the way. Abuse of power? Not according to the now Chief of Staff, Marcus Kane, who sees Miss Winters as his protege. What is perhaps most revealing, Kane helped cover up the intimate relationship between Miss Winters and a certain someone related to the President herself. That’s right, the President’s very own daughter, Clarke Griffin, has warmed Miss Winters’ bed.” The two of them looked at each other over their copies, and Anya cursed.

“Fucking hell.”

“Did Kane…?” Lexa asked, knowing the next few paragraphs went on to discuss the details surrounding Clarke and Anya’s night together. Lexa wasn’t quite sure she should read that part. Not yet. 

“No, not that I know of anyway. I don’t think he was aware. I certainly never told him, and I can’t see Clarke telling him,” Anya replied, shaking her head. 

And onwards they read. 

Lexa ignored the poor attempts of imagery Collins was going for, and then the snippets of what read as fantasy porn between Anya and Clarke. 

Heavy and heated gazes between the two of them, and then a hand, creeping up the inside of Clarke’s thigh, Anya leaning in, whispering in her ear, hand going even higher, out of sight. Then Clarke smirking, moving further into Anya’s touch, closing her eyes in satisfaction, before a few words from Anya’s lips, and upstairs they retreated…

There was more, but Lexa flipped the pages until she could resume without reading the words nipple, wet, and moaning. 

“Is that how it went?” Lexa asked, flipping the copy round for Anya to see what bit she was reading. 

“No,” Anya replied, shaking her head, deep frown in place. “I had drinks with the campaign team, called it a night, was heading back to the hotel room to go to bed, and met her in the hallway as she came from her mother’s room. I invited her in to talk about the next day’s agenda, we needed her on board, we had a drink, and...yeah.” 

“There was no public displays of affection, no hickies, nothing of the sort?” 

“No, we know how to be discreet.” Anya sounded mildly offended at the suggestion. 

“What about the interns?” Lexa asked, going back to that. 

“What about them?” 

“Did you sleep with them, from location to location?” Anya’s silence was deafening. 

“Christ, Anya.” 

“What? They were all over twenty-one, all consenting, and knew it was only going to be a one night stand. I didn’t offer them anything, I didn’t make any promises, none of them gained or lost out by sleeping with me.” 

“Say someone tracks down one of these broke college students who happened to intern on the campaign, and say they offered them a lump sum of money to retell all, what do you think would happen? Because I know. They’d talk, and it would give Collin’s shitpile here some validity.” 

“They won’t talk.” But even that sounded forced. 

“You don’t know that.” And neither did Lexa, but they could both hope. What it did mean was that they needed to strategize better, they needed to take in the whole board and understand what move they’d need to make in four or five turns. Making a mental note, Lexa knew she’d need to speak to Gina and the team later. 

Anya couldn’t be involved, that much was clear. 

*0*0*

Unfortunately for Anya, Lexa wasn’t the only one thinking that Anya needed to take a step back. Kane also thought so. 

The email in Lexa’s inbox was up front and to the point. Meeting in Kane’s office, 13:30, arrive 13:20. Lexa had suspected something like this was coming, it really was only a matter of time.

As each day ticked by, more and more details of the manuscript were getting out throughout the West Wing. So far, very little had hit the press, and what was had come from Collins’ camp, but still. It was clear what the upcoming issue was going to be for the President when it did come out. 

“Lexa, thanks for coming, Anya’s on her way,” Kane said, waving her into his office. 

“I’m not sure it’s right that I’m here for this,” Lexa confessed, knowing that her best friend was about to walk through the door and have the rug swept from under her. 

“I get that, I do, you two are friends. But under these circumstances, I need you to be here for this, if not for me, then Anya.” And there was really no arguing with that. He was her boss, after all.  

Lexa took a seat, towards the back of the office, there but not there. Anya could miss her if she wasn’t looking at first, but her presence was enough. It was a clear statement. She wasn’t onboard with this decision, even though she knew it had to happen. 

Anya was going to get hounded, and she was going to be the least effective chess piece on the board. So rather than try and persevere, they were taking her out. 

“You’re benching me,” Anya said, coming to the same conclusion, seven minutes later.

“No, now, no,” Kane began, trying to ease the situation. “We need some distance between you, this book, and the President. That’s all. It’s temporary.” He couldn’t guarantee that, and they all knew it. “Come on, Anya, you’re smart, you know that the President cannot get caught up in this.” 

“And I take it Lexa will take over my duties,” Anya supplied, moving straight on to the practical aspects going forward. 

“Not all of them, but most,” Kane replied, and Lexa shifted in her chair when Anya turned back to look at her. 

“I’ll get you up to speed, and we’ll have Maya arrange the diaries so you’re going to all my meetings.” It was a different response than the one Lexa had been anticipating. 

“Thank you,” Marcus said, nodding, as if proud by Anya’s ability to let it go so easily. 

Lexa knew better. She could see her friend hurting, with that anger bubbling just beneath the surface. 

More words were exchanged, but Lexa had checked out, it was all formalities. Anya would stay in post, to give the appearance that nothing had changed, but Lexa would be doing the work. Then, depending on the press, Anya would either continue in that fashion, or take a leave of absence. 

The latter would be a critical blow to them, but needs must at times. 

Heading out of Kane’s office, the two of them walked side by side through the halls, towards their own offices. Anya let out a heavy sigh, tugging at the strap of her badge hanging round her neck, and to Lexa, this was probably one of the worst days of Anya’s career, and she was not taking it as well as it looked. 

“Want to get shitfaced?” Lexa asked, opting to put friendship above the job. 

Anya glanced at her watch, and then back at Lexa. 

“It’s not even three,” Anya replied, and Lexa shrugged. 

“And?” That earned her a grin. 

“I missed fun Lexa,” she said, patting Lexa on the back once, twice. 

It was a quick, clear the afternoon, grab their things, and get out before they couldn’t, when they reached their offices. 

And that was how they found themselves sitting at the back of some dingy bar Anya liked to frequent. Privacy, Lexa, they’ll give us privacy, she had said, walking in and making herself comfortable in a booth at the back. Who was Lexa to argue? 

So she bought the first round, and they’d gone from there. Work talk would ideally be off the table, but that just wasn’t possible given the circumstances. Instead, Anya started walking Lexa through all the things she’d need to know without ever explicitly being told. What cues to look for, whose calls to dodge, and all the little details that made Anya’s job what it was. 

“And of course, you have the added issue of the media shit-storm that’s coming.” 

“I have it covered,” Lexa said, thinking of the late nights in Gina’s office, planning, calculating, and strategizing. 

“Don’t tarnish your reputation because of me,” Anya replied, deadly serious, and Lexa wanted to argue, but knew better. 

Rather than enter into a heated debate about how Lexa would always have Anya’s back, she got another round in, and moved on to talk about the up and comers in D.C vs those on their way out. It was gossiping and shit-talking at it’s finest. 

Eventually, when Lexa knew that Anya was well and truly shit-faced, and she herself wasn’t far off from that, Lexa thought it best to ensure Anya got home safely. The last thing they needed was the ‘benched’ deputy chief of staff making a drunken scene. The media would love that. The sharks circling around Anya’s career would go into a frenzy for that. 

So that left Lexa with either putting Anya in a cab and hoping she got home safely, or calling the one person who just happened to be in town that could get her home in one piece.

Raven arrived twenty or so minutes later, a lazy smile on her lips as she found them in the booth, pushing Anya over to sit down next to her. And Anya, once she saw who had practically manhandled her, went from hard and pissed off to soft and tender in seconds. 

“Rae, what are you doing here?” she asked, hardly a slur to her words. 

“Your work-wife called me,” Raven replied, shooting Lexa a smile. 

“You’re my work-wife, did you know that?” Anya asked, nodding, proudly. 

“I did,” Lexa replied, before looking back to Raven. “Thanks for coming,” 

“And miss this? Phfft, no way.” Raven’s grin was infectious. “I’m glad I was in town.” 

“This wasn’t what I had in mind when I wanted you two to meet again,” Anya added, now frowning between the two of them. 

“Do you know what’s going on?” Lexa asked Raven, and she nodded, smile slipping. 

“Clarke told me about the book.” Lexa wondered how that conversation had gone. “But what brought on tonight?” 

“Lexa’s the new Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Operations,” Anya supplied, finishing off her drink, and Raven winced, as Lexa ducked her head. “I’m going to head to the bathroom, before we head home.” 

Raven slid out the booth and let Anya out after her, before sliding back in to sit opposite Lexa. Her comment had done enough, explained enough for anyone to put the pieces together on the outlook of Anya’s future. 

There was a beat of silence, then Raven asked what was plaguing her mind since her conversation with Clarke. 

“Is she going to get fired?” Lexa wasn’t surprised by the question, if her resigned expression was anything to go by.  

“I don’t know,” she answered, honestly, wishing she did know more, wishing she did know what was coming. 

“Can you tell me what you do know?” There was a line, that Lexa had to be ensure she didn’t cross, but without the details, without over-sharing, Lexa could. It was Raven, after all, a woman Anya had welcomed into her life, where very few had been before. 

“She’s going to be accused of sleeping with subordinates, and it might get messy.” Raven looked a little surprised to hear that, taking a deep breath and letting it out, slowly. 

“And here I thought her sleeping with Clarke would be the messiest part of this,” she remarked, and Lexa nodded, thinking that, too, when she’d first thought about damage control. 

“They could fire her, they could ask her to resign. If someone tried hard enough, they could make a legal case against her-” 

“This is going to get out, isn’t it?” Raven cut Lexa off, not wanting to even think about the consequences, and Lexa understood. At that point in time, with the unknown, it felt better, safer, to bury one’s head in the sand. 

“Yeah, we can’t stop it. The book will be published. It’ll hit the President, Clarke, Anya, the senior staff, the interns who have no idea it’s coming, a few senators and congressional members.” 

“What about you?” Lexa shook her head, knowing she was unscathed by this. 

“I never met him, I’m not in it.” 

“But it’ll still impact you,” Raven pushed, and Lexa couldn’t help but nod to that. It would. 

“Well, I’m practically stealing my best friend’s job, and I’m going to be running defence for the next however many months it takes for this to be old news, so yeah, I guess.” 

“No, with Clarke.” 

Ah. 

Lexa didn’t know how much Raven knew of that, and turned, looking towards her, trying to gauge what to say. 

“She is my best friend,” Raven said, trying to put Lexa’s mind at ease. 

“It is what it is,” Lexa replied, shrugging, taking a drink and shaking her head. “Nothing I can do about it.” 

“She likes you,” Raven added, and Lexa dropped her gaze to the floor. 

“And I like her, but she can’t sleep with both Deputy Chief of Staffs. If that got out…” Lexa knew the minute the book came out it was going to do them damage, it was going to screw them all over, and this was one aspect Lexa had thoroughly avoided thinking about. 

They were over before they even started. 

One kiss. One moment. One night. 

That was all they got. 

The post-it notes, the phone calls, the looks in the hallways, they were over and done with. This book was going to destroy all possibilities between them. They would never be able to go back, never be able to pick up where they left off. 

Not with the eyes of the media on them. Not with the memory of the media. No one would forget about Clarke’s tryst with Anya. No one would let that drop. So how could Lexa and Clarke ever try, ever explore the potential between them with that axe looming over them? 

“It is what it is,” Lexa repeated. “Can’t do anything about it.” 

“That’s what she said,” Raven remarked, as Anya came back into their view. 

Conversation over, time to go home. 

At least now, Lexa knew that when she finally had to have that conversation with Clarke, they’d be on the same page. 

It was over. 

*0*0*

“Any news?” Lexa asked, walking into Gina’s office, coffee tray in hand, bag of pastries in another. 

Gina’s office had transformed over the last few days, as they waited, with another desk being added, more screens making an appearance, and more ways to keep track of the news, the blogs, the livestreams. They were going to know the moment it hit. 

And with that, a new routine was born, with all of them checking in, with drinks and food, and then relief when no, not yet. 

“There are mutterings,” Gina replied, watching the live twitter feed. 

“Like what?” 

“Some gossip columns are raving about some hot new book and I quote ‘that’ll shake up Wash-ington like a dryer and leave so few smelling clean.” 

“What is that even meant to mean?” 

“Who knows, but the implication we’re all dirty isn’t a new one, so please,” Gina rolled her eyes.

“When do you think he’ll announce it?” 

“I’m waiting on a call, I think he’s been given some time on a local network, but they’ll be bumped if he gives them something good and it’ll go wide.” 

“I better tell the techs that Anya’s going to break a TV monitor if he goes live on TV.” 

“Yeah, let’s hold off on that phone call.” It was the way she said it that had Lexa frowning. 

“What’s going on?” 

“This morning’s paper, ‘a white house staffer claims Anya Winters, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, has been benched. Details are unknown yet, but she’s on the out.’.” 

“Benched. On the out?” Lexa asked, knowing that wording was very specific. 

“Well, they’re not technically wrong. She has been benched.” 

“She’s going to kill someone. A leak. Who the hell would leak that?” 

“One of the interns?” Gina might not have meant how that sounded, but they both winced at the mention. 

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll just move ahead as planned. Let me know when you know?” 

“Will do, and thanks for breakfast.” 

Lexa left Gina’s office and made the walk to her own, hesitating only slightly when she saw the agent standing outside her door. Nodding in greetings, Lexa headed inside, not sure what Griffin to expect. 

The younger, it seemed. 

“Clarke,” Lexa said, finding Clarke sitting on Lexa’s office couch, feet up, manuscript in hand. 

“Morning, Lexa,” Clarke replied, as if this was perfectly normal. 

“Where did you get that?” Lexa then asked, suddenly looking to her desk, where no, all her papers were locked away, and no, her cabinets were still shut. 

“You’re not the only one with friends in this town, Lexa. Although, you did make it harder for me than I’m used to.” Clarke shot her a playful look before continuing. “What did you do, order them not to hand it over?” 

“And incentivized them. So who broke rank?” Lexa asked, unimpressed by it all. 

“I’m not putting them in the line of fire, especially not when they did me a favour. “

“You shouldn’t be reading that. It’s trash.” 

“I don’t know, I think he perfectly described the details of my tattoo and he’s damn spot on about the proximity of that mole to my-”

“Clarke,” Lexa said, bringing her to a halt. 

“Yes?” Clarke replied, as if innocent. 

“Please?” Lexa asked, hand out, reaching, and Clarke eyed it for a second before handing over the paper manuscript she had. “Thank you,” Lexa replied, giving her a soft smile before moving to sit behind her desk. 

“You do know I have a digital copy, right?” 

“I do,” Lexa nodded, “but you won’t read that out to me while I try and work, so I don’t care.” 

“I actually came to find out what the plan was,” Clarke said, cutting right to the chase. 

“You can’t ask me that,” Lexa replied, after a pause.  

“Yes, I can, I just did.” Clarke rose from the couch at that, moving to stand in front of Lexa’s desk. 

“No, you can’t. As far as we’re concerned, you don’t know about this.” 

“Sounds ill-prepared.” 

“With all due respect, Clarke, let us handle this, please.” She wanted to rise, to stand opposite Clarke, but that would elevate the conversation, and there was no way Lexa wanted to do that. Yet. 

“It’s easy to say that, Lexa, but I’m going to be outed when that book comes out. I want to know what is in place, not only for me, but for Anya, or any of the girls I’ve slept with, because the media is going to assume I’m gay, and to hell with erasing my bisexuality to make them feel better.” 

“You should talk to Gina,” Lexa finally said, thinking it over. “She’ll be able to brief you fully on the steps you’ll need to take, and when it breaks, we’ll see what happens.” 

“What about Anya?” 

“What about her?” Lexa replied, wondering how she fitted into Clarke’s concerns. 

“She’s benched?” Ugh. That fucking quote. 

“I have no say in that.” 

“You’ll find who leaked it?” 

“Unlikely,” Lexa said, knowing how these things worked. There were too many people, too many departments, and the time and resources wasted on the manhunt wouldn’t be worth it in the end. There was always going to be someone who would talk.. 

“But you’ll have her back?” 

“Always,” Lexa nodded, recalling the many moments that Anya had hers, “don’t doubt that for one second. I’ll protect her where I can.” 

“And where she’ll let you,” Clarke added, raising her eyebrows in resignation. 

Then there was silence, as Lexa watched her, wondering if this was the last time she’d see Clarke for some time. Things were going to get busy. Things were going to pick up, and what with Clarke still working, soon to graduate, and the media about to watch her every move, it did seem logical that yes, this would be the last time they were alone together. 

Clarke either came to the same conclusion, or could read her mind, because she gave Lexa a soft smile, eyes as if pleading, and Lexa rose, to stand. 

“Gina will be your contact for this, going forward.” That was the best approach, and Kane would agree. 

The press would dig up Anya’s past, find the connection to Lexa, and if she was seen with Clarke, it could complicate things. As if Lexa was micromanaging a secret relationship or something equally as ridiculous. 

So Gina. 

“Will I be able to contact you at all?” Clarke asked, not breaking eye contact. 

“It’s probably best you don’t.” 

“So no drinks? No dinner? No date?” 

“I wish…”  Lexa began, before shaking her head. 

“You and me both,” Clarke added, defeat in her tone, and she dropped her shoulders, making to leave.

“Clarke?” Lexa said, making her hesitate. “The short time we did have...if I may...it was an honour.” She didn’t know what else to say to describe the whirlwind that had been their sort of relationship. Those were the only words that came to mind, and yet were so far from what she was trying to say. 

“Always so formal,” Clarke smiled, yet there was no happiness to it. “This doesn’t have to be...once the dust settles...” Clarke let the words hang, holding onto that moment of hope. Surely they could? 

“I have to get back to work,” Lexa said, meaning clear, and Clarke nodded, a resigned smile on her lips. 

And that was that. 

*0*0*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [I'm on tumblr, come say hi!](http://comfortablyobsessed.tumblr.com/)


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